Minister for Women, Lynda Tabuya [Source: Ministry of Women, Children and Social Protection - Fiji/Facebook]

A challenge has been posed on the culture and tradition of the iTaukei, for its leaders to examine how the way of life encourages violence against girls and women.

Minister for Women, Lynda Tabuya expresses concern on the vulnerability of girls and women who live in culturally and traditionally organized communities, especially those living in informal settlements across the country.

Tabuya says the government is challenged by the existence of various issues that increases the vulnerability of girls and women to violence in informal settlements.

“We are still not figuring out the infrastructure. We are still not figuring out the electricity … out of these informal and squatter settlements is where the highest crime is committed.”

Tabuya says they are working closely with the Great Council of Chiefs to examine how cultural norms perpetuates gender-based violence among iTaukei.

“All men, to be able to try to look, do a really deep dive into the traditional setting and how we get to have those behavioral change, that transformative change on that level.”

According to a recent survey on population; over 150,000 people live in informal settlements, with 45 in rural areas and 55 percent in urban areas across the country.