Tuidama: 77 cases reported

Domestic violence during lockdown

THE 77 domestic violence cases reported to the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre Nadi branch during the COVID-19 Lautoka lockdown were from women who had lost their jobs.

This, according to acting Nadi branch project officer and counsellor Lavenia Tuidama.

She said most women were going through a lot of emotional and verbal abuse in their respective homes because they could no longer provide for their families.

“Since March, domestic violence reported cases continued to increase at the Nadi branch and for April alone we had 40 reported cases,” Ms Tuidama said.

“Because of movement restrictions, they were home most of the time and verbal abuse from their husbands and partners affected them so much.

“Financial burden continued to go to women and some families had to move to their respective villages and men mostly expect women to do everything for the family.

“In some cases, men depend on women for their daily family affairs and women called us as they needed counselling because of the abuse that continued in their own homes.”

Ms Tuidama said there were also a few cases of physical abuse during the COVID-19 lockdown and they had to seek the assistance of the police in attending to them.

She added FWCC counsellors also underwent challenges in trying to get back to these women as phones were switched off when they tried to get status updates.

She said most women contacted them for counselling assistance when their husbands were asleep or busy attending to other matters.