The head of the Anglican Church in Polynesia says clergy could help stem the tide of violence against women and children by changing their own patriarchal attitudes.
The Archbishop of Polynesia, the Reverend Dr Winston Halapua says the anti violence message should start in the home and he's urged church leaders to practice what they preach.
Dr Halapua says ordained Anglican clergy in Fiji are going back to the classroom to learn the anti violence message from experts and he hopes to have spread the word throughout his diocese within the next two years.
"I'm simply saying the root of this is actually patriarchal, dominance and the way we try to control things as though we are the only human beings on this earth. In the case of the church, I believe it has been in the church from the beginning."
Dr Halapua opened a national meeting in Suva last week on eliminating violence against women and he says he's excited about taking leadership on the anti-violence message.
