10 Mar 2011

Violence against women a growing problem in Fiji

7:31 pm on 10 March 2011

The Fiji Women's Crisis Centre says violence against women is a growing problem.

The organisation led a march through Suva on International Women's Day on Tuesday, calling for safer streets, homes and nightclubs and to end violence against women.

Its deputy co-ordinator Edwina Kotoisuva says the Crisis Centre has seen an increase in domestic violence cases reported but says many more are not being disclosed.

She says Fiji is experiencing an emerging problem with young male sex offenders and says the severity of the violence has gotten worse.

"The severity of the violence in terms of - we've had two young women who've died over the past two weeks so that's an indication of the levels of violence but also the women who are hospitalised, the use of weapons. Those types of things are what we are seeing from our counselling and community education experience."

Edwina Kotoisuva says many women are tolerating violence in the home because they are lacking support or face hostility around reporting it.