Patriarchy is the cause of violence against women and girls: Ali
The struggle for our freedoms, safety and agencies as women is political,” says Shamima Ali The Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre (FWCC) co-ordinator said this during the Pacific Prevention Summit at the InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa at Natadola in Sigatoka on Monday.
Ms Ali said their analysis revealed that patriarchy was the cause of violence against women and girls. “Our analysis is and was always very clear that patriarchy is the cause of violence against women and girls. The struggle for our freedom, safety and agency as women is political and women’s rights are human rights.”
She said violence against women was not a health issue or a welfare issue; it was a human rights issue.
Ms Ali said the status of women in society was directly tied to political freedom, freedom of speech, self-determination, housing security, food security, and the ability to make a living.
Moreover, she was glad that a lot of women in Fiji and the Pacific declared that they were feminist and activists in this field.
She said gender-based violence was everyone’s business and everyone’s concern.
The president of the Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC) at the Pacific Prevention Summit, Dr Robin Mitchell said sport in the Pacific Islands would prosper further and positively impact more people and communities if it was gender-equal, inclusive and safe.
“ONOC’s work is framed by the ambitions for strengthening gender equality ‘in’ and ‘through’ sport set out by our Equity Commission which are aligned with the IOC’s Olympic Agenda 2020+5, Gender Equality and Inclusion Objectives and our Olympism365 strategy and, closer to home the Pacific Leaders Gender Equality declaration,” Dr Mitchell said.