8 Mar 2004

The Fiji Women's Crisis Centre plans

8:17 am on 8 March 2004

The Fiji Women's Crisis Centre is hoping to present the prime minister, Laisena Qarase, with a petition for changes in legislation at the end of a march tonight.

The Centre has organised a 'Reclaim the Night' march to commemorate International Womens' Day and encourage women who have been sexually assaulted to come forward.

The Centre's Edwina Kotoisuva, says she is expecting hundreds of women to attend the march.

Ms Kotoisuva says she also hopes Mr Qarase attends so he can be presented with a petition calling for law changes.

"Those changes include things at the very basic level such as the definition of rape, we are also looking at things like sentencing, issues like the law of corroboration in relation to sexual assaults and past sexual history being brought into court cases, we are hoping those kinds of things are not allowed in court."