IWD shines light on ongoing challenges
FWCC leads the fight for gender equality despite pushback
IT’S International Women’s Day, the one day of the year dedicated to the efforts of feminists to create a safe, inclusive, and welcoming society for women across the globe.
The feminist movement in Fiji has received its fair share of criticism and pushback, mostly due to a patriarchal society which still holds a firm footing across communities and agencies of power in the country.
Over the past three decades, Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre (FWCC) co-ordinator Shamima Ali has led the fight, calling for equality and a better life for women and children, free from violence, abuse, and discrimination.
The fight has been long and arduous, and many may question why gender-based violence, rape, and discrimination remain ongoing issues.
The answer is simple.
“It’s not a problem that will be solved overnight,” Ms Ali says, adding that decades of living in a patriarchal society had suppressed women over the generations.
IWD, she says, is a day of reflection. But it is also a day to celebrate the little wins that wouldn’t be possible without the tireless efforts of feminists across the country.
“It is a day to enjoy what we have achieved, but it’s also to think of the struggle ahead and plan for what else needs to be done.
“Women’s rights, while we move a few steps forward, there are many things that take us back. So, the feminist women’s movement, they have to be ready to push back again and that’s what we’ve done in Fiji.”
And the issue isn’t so black and white anymore. Climate change and natural disasters also had a big impact on violence against women and women’s rights.
One of the ways in which the FWCC is trying to boost its presence is through community awareness. Last year, the organisation carried out 31 community education sessions.
FWCC head of research Ilisapeci Veibuli says last year alone, FWCC branches around the country received almost 2484 new clients for counselling and support.
“Among these new clients, there’s approximately about 65 per cent who have come in for domestic violence, with a total of 1608,” she said.
“So, this number, domestic violence, which includes the physical, the verbal, economical, sexual, and coercive control.
One of the significant concerns is the rise of marital rape, with 115 reported for last year.
“So, we’ve also counselled survivors who have experienced rape, attempted rape, sexual assault, child rape and child sexual abuse.
“We’ve counselled about 35 survivors of rape, 30 survivors of sexual assault. We have counselled and supported 62 survivors of child rape, 53 survivors of child sexual abuse, 60 survivors of child abuse, which is physical, verbal, and emotional. And we have also counselled adult survivors of child abuse.”
Ms Veibuli said FWCC counsellors had also counselled about 25 survivors of sexual harassment, and they received 605 other cases.
These cases were not linked to sexual crimes, but rather those of individuals who faced other challenges. According to Ms Veibuli, these included people being pushed out of their homes and unable to access accommodation, or being asked to leave because the social services are not able to cater for them.
“We’ve had those that have come in to provide some legal advice, assistance with probates, property rights etcetera.”
Furthermore, Ms Ali said through the cases they had seen, most of the people being chased out of their homes were the elderly.
“All our services are inclusive of people with disabilities, as well as the LGBT community. So, we’ve had quite a high number of people with disabilities, particularly women with disabilities, who are accessing our services, and with rape and so on.”
According to FWCC, 53 women lost their lives to domestic violence over the past decade – a sad reality of the extent to which domestic violence afflicted society.
At this stage, FWCC’s work on the ground seems to be bearing some fruit, as follow-up visits to different communities are showing that incidences of violence are slowly declining.
However, Ms Ali says there is still work to be done. They still find it difficult to work with police in certain situations, and gender sensitisation training does not fall very high on the agenda of some organisations or companies.
But through it all, the FWCC remains optimistic that their message is going out to the public.
Tonight, they are calling on members of the public to show up and support their women through the “Reclaim the Night” march. This is an annual fixture of IWD, and aims to speak out against rape, and create a safe space for women.
And no matter what criticisms come their way, the FWCC is dedicated to continuing on its path of advocacy and assistance to ensure a safer Fiji for all.
Women’s rights, while we move a few steps forward, there are many things that take us back. So, the feminist women’s movement, they have to be ready to push back again and that’s what we’ve done in Fiji
– Shamima Ali