‘Partners’ in crime

Drug epidemic and vulnerable women

THE drug epidemic in Fiji has also sunk its claws into vulnerable women, with the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre (FWCC) saying that women are forced into prostitution and drug peddling by their partners.

During a press conference yesterday, FWCC head of research Ilisapeci Veibuli said they had also observed a trend of economic violence where individuals, primarily women, were deprived of access to their financial resources.

These women also had money forcibly taken away from them.

“What is further exacerbating this issue of domestic violence is the use of drugs, which have been identified as a contributing factor to escalation of domestic violence,” she said.

“In several of the cases, women have reported that they have been coerced into peddling drugs and using drugs, which makes them dependent on the substance by their partners. This is somehow also a means of control by their partners.”

FWCC co-ordinator Shamima Ali said domestic violence didn’t just revolve around drugs, but also alcohol and kava.

“When you’re talking about drugs, we have to be very clear,” she said.

“It’s not the drug that causes the violence, there’s also alcohol and kava involved, and a lot of money is spent on that and there’s a lot of fights about it.

“People forcing their wives or partners to become dependent; that’s a form of violence.”

She said there were even instances whereby drug users in the household resorted to selling household items just to buy the drugs.

Ms Ali said some women were also being forced into prostitution.

“Sometimes, some men forced their wives, their partners or their daughters into prostitution to be able to meet their needs (for drugs).”

In the aftermath, she said there were often families who needed food assistance, because of the domestic violence that they were going through.

“There is no steady source of income by the providers. The money that is supposed to be diverted for food gets used for drugs because usually, the perpetrator is involved in drugs. So, women and children go without food, and they also access our services needing this kind of assistance.”