‘GENDER BASED VIOLENCE A SIGNIFICANT PUBLIC HEALTH CHALLENGE’
OVERALL, 72 PER CENT REPORTED HAVING EXPERIENCED PHYSICAL, SEXUAL OR EMOTIONAL VIOLENCE FROM THEIR PARTNER IN THEIR LIFETIME.
Guideline launched to assist health workers deal with victims of Gender Based Violence (GBV).
Overall, 72 per cent reported having experienced physical, sexual or emotional violence from their partner in their lifetime, often all three forms of abuse, and 15 per cent reported having experienced physical, sexual or emotional violence from their partner in their lifetime.
Dr Rachel Devi Ministry of Health and Medical Services Head of Family Health
Gender-based violence is a significant public health challenge globally and Fiji is no exception, says Head of Family Health at the Ministry of Health and Medical Services Dr Rachel Devi.
Dr Devi said gender-based violence had an enormous negative impact on individuals, communities, and the whole society.
Over the weekend, the Ministry of Health and Medical Services through the support of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) launched a Fiji Health Guideline for comprehensive case management of Gender Based Violence including sexual violence. The guideline is designed to train and guide healthcare workers uniformly throughout the Ministry of Health and Medical Services and all other private health sectors.
Dr Devi said the guideline was a comprehensive and easy reference package that a health worker requires when attending to a case of gender-based violence issues.
“It guides evidence collection and giving evidence in court and links healthcare workers to all social support services available for victims,” she said.
Statistics
Dr Devi said in a report by the Diverse Voices and Action for Equality (DIVA) in 2019, 83.64 per cent of lesbian, bisexual and transgender women and gender non-confirming people state having experienced physical violence by their intimate partner.
“Out of which 43 per cent only shared with close friends and 12 shared with none,” she added.
“Of the 82, about 52 have been sexually assaulted by a family member.” She said the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre national prevalence study, “Somebody’s Life, Everybody’s Business” revealed that the rates of violence against women in Fiji were among the highest in the world, with a very high prevalence of sexual abuse of girls under 15 years.
“Overall, 72 per cent reported having experienced physical, sexual or emotional violence from their partner in their lifetime, often all three forms of abuse, and 15 per cent reported having experienced physical, sexual or emotional violence from their partner in their lifetime,” she said.
“Around 47 per cent of the women who have been physically or sexually abused by their husbands or partners have been hurt due to attacks; of those incapacitated, 60 per cent were injured more than once and now have a disability.
“More than 13 per cent have lost consciousness due to the abuse and among them that needed health care due to injuries less than two in three received it.”