16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence
Gender-Based Violence (GBV) can be labelled as the ignored pandemic that has lived with us for several ages. It is experienced in all parts of the globe and Fiji is no exception. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the 16 Days Activism against GBV.
According to Oxfam,
Gender-based violence (GBV) refers to any act of physical, psychological,
sexual or economic violence directed against a person or group on the basis
of their gender, sex or non-conformity to gender norms and stereotypes. It is
an expression of unequal power relations, underpinned by social norms and
beliefs linked to dominance, power and abuse of authority, and formalized
through the laws, policies and regulations of social institutions. GBV can take
many forms, including physical, psychological and sexual violence, as well as
social violence which cuts survivors off from their communities or social
groups, and economic violence, which results in economic deprivation.
In Fiji, the Minister of Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation revealed that 2,933 genuine calls were received by the Domestic Violence Helpline in the last 11 months. (FJT 21/09/21)
Empower Pacific staff at the Lautoka Head Office in their Orange the World T-shirts.
Under this year’s theme 'Orange the World: End Violence against Women Now!', Empower Pacific conducted community awareness sessions in the Central, Western and Northern divisions. We believe that in order to make a difference in people’s lives, they need to be informed of the different facets of GBV. Physical abuse is just one aspect of it. Most of the times individuals fail to understand the psychological trauma women and men get subjected to. Informing women and men of their rights and linking them to support services available will allow them to reach out when they need help.
Community awareness session in Naboutini Village, Nadi.
Members of the Naboutini community told us that they were quite surprised when presented with the different forms of violence suffered by women as well as the different forms of child abuse. A request for more sessions was also made.
Our community awareness sessions consisted of in-depth information on COVID-19 and its relation to the rise in Domestic Violence, we explored the definition of violence in GBV that is directed against a person on the basis of gender, reflected on the inequalities between men and women, identified and differentiated the various forms of abuse from physical to financial abuse. (Physical, emotional, sexual and financial/economical abuse). We discussed the cycle of abuse and it’s relation to the dynamics of power and control, advocating and understanding the characteristics of a healthy relationship as compared to an abusive one.
Empower Pacific Suva team in front of their booth opposite the PRB flats in Raiwai.
In addition, our session also highlighted the purpose and process of obtaining a Domestic Violence restraining order (This is obtained to provide safety and protection for persons going through violence and abuse. It was further elaborated that DVRO can be interim and final as per the case situation), other relevant considerations such as the effects of GBV on children was raised and also the need for being agents of change in responding to issues of GBV.
Child protection awareness session was accompanied by the GBV sessions that provided a platform of information giving on the need to understand child protection and children’s rights, laws both international and local that keep children safe as well as emphasize the responsibility of all individuals to report any forms of abuse towards a child. Lastly, awareness was also raised on individuals’ responsibilities when they witness GBV in their community.
We hope that with the information we impart, we are able to encourage more public conversations and provide individuals with the information necessary to assess their situation and make decisions that are in their best interest.
This initiative was supported by the Australian Humanitarian Partnership
𝑭𝑨𝑪𝑻 𝑭𝑰𝑳𝑬:
𝑻𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑨𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒂𝒏 𝑯𝒖𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒏 𝑷𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 (𝑨𝑯𝑷), 𝑬𝒎𝒑𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓 𝑷𝒂𝒄𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒄 𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 ChildFund Australia (𝑪𝑭𝑨) 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 Plan International (𝑷𝑰𝑨) 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒖𝒎