[Source: Parliament of Fiji/ Facebook]

Minister for Women Lynda Tabuya has strongly advocated for a strong legislative framework to address technology-facilitated gender-based violence.

Speaking at a question and answer session at the Women’s Mock Parliament, Tabuya says the government intends to implement stringent measures to amend various laws on the safety and security of Fijians on the internet.

Tabuya says Fiji has to strengthen its laws to address online gender-based violence.

“The difference between our Online Safety Commission here and ones like in Australia and New Zealand is that our Online Safety Commission is simply a reporting desk. So if you have a case of cyberbullying and you report it to the commission, they still have to send it to the police, the cybercrime unit. They’re already inundated with so much work.”

[Source: Parliament of Fiji/ Facebook]

Lawyer, Sainiana Radrodro had asked about the government’s approach to counter unwarranted attacks on female members of parliament on social media.

“Given those experiences that we have had and that could also be a deterrent to future leaders, future women who would like to join parliament, how are we as a government or your ministry working to perhaps review policies that will somewhat control or manage the kind of negative attacks that target our women MPs.”

Minister for Women Lynda Tabuya

Tabuya says Fiji has partnered with other Pacific Island countries to establish a regional working group to address cyberbullying on women.

“So at the women’s platform, we were able to include it in the outcomes document to establish this regional working group. It will be made up of ministers and other CSOs as well, and that’ll be taken to the Pacific on the leaders’ forum in August.”

The Minister has urged stakeholders to assist the government in their commitment to strengthen the laws on violence against girls and women on the internet.