Parents no longer understand their fundamental role – Vani

PARENTS no longer understand their fundamental roles, says Fiji Council of Social Services director Vani Catanasiga.

Responding to the issue of an 11-year-old girl, who was seriously beaten by her father in Nausori last Friday, Ms Catanasiga said this was one of the reasons children were being neglected and abused.

“One of the key issues we are finding in our work on countering trafficking in persons is that parents no longer understand what their fundamental role is,” said Ms Catanasiga.

“They don’t understand that protection and safety of the child is fundamentally a big part of being a parent.

“Some misunderstand what that protection and safety responsibility entails.

“When stakeholders neglect to invest in strengthening the family units choosing instead to silo their approaches only to specific members of the family, we’d continue to witness the flood of social issues we are presently witnessing.”

Ms Catanasiga said in Fiji, family units where children were supposed to get the highest level of protection, sense of self-awareness and worth are fundamentally broken.

“Those closest to the family, the community are unsure as to what their role is because of fear.

“Fear of repercussions perhaps directly from these perpetrators or their relatives.

“It is a slippery slope when we excuse violence against women whether from parliament or pulpits or around the tanoa because soon we will excuse the abuse of children and in particular girls as discipline.”

Ms Vatanisiga said the story of this child “is no doubt the story of many young girls around Fiji”.