The #FijiNAP team is at the Fiji Police Force Academy today conducting consultations with 191 Police recruits to help inform the Fiji National Action Plan to Prevent Violence Against All Women and Girls.

MWCPA Director of Women, Reijeli Mawa had opened the consultations this morning and said,”it was such a valuable opportunity to hear from the officers this morning, a lot of innovative strategies were shared and we look forward to working alongside many of you soon.”

The Police recruits learnt more of the #FijiNAP process that is currently underway and how they as police officers can better respond to Gender based violence in our communities. The officers also had the opportunity to provide valuable ideas and strategies on improving the efforts of the Fiji Police Force in responding to and ending gender based violence in Fiji.

The Fiji National Action Plan to Prevent Violence Against All Women and Girls is a ministry led initiative and is supported by a number of the civil society organisations such as the Fiji Women's Crisis Centre , DIVA for Equality FIJI and Fiji Women's Rights Movement.

The NAP is a whole-of-government, whole-of-community, evidence-based, measurable, inclusive and funded five-year plan (2022-2027) with an emphasis on stopping violence before it starts.

A series of nationwide consultations and dialogues with stakeholders from 13 key settings and communities are currently underway to better inform the development of the Fiji National Action Plan to Prevent Violence Against all Women and Girls. You can help prevent violence against all women and girls by filling the online survey available at www.fijipreventvawg.com

If you or a loved one you know is experiencing violence, please call the National Domestic Helpline 1560 or the National Child Helpline 1325 from any network. Help is available.

29/04/2022

The Ministry of Women Children and Poverty Alleviation is pleased to inform that the Fiji National Action Plan to Prevent Violence Against All Women and Girls (Fiji NAP) consultation with senior Police officers was successfully conducted today at Tanoa Plaza in Suva.

The issue of Gender-based violence or violence against women and girls, is a global pandemic that affects 1 in 3 women in their lifetime.

Fiji has one of the highest recorded rates of violence against women and girls globally, with almost 2 out of 3 women who have been subjected to physical or sexual violence in their lifetime (global figure is 1 out of 3) - this is unacceptable and requires a bold and ambitious response at the national such as the Fiji NAP which is currently being developed.

The consultation provided the senior officers with the opportunity to deliberate on ideas and strategies on how the Fiji Police Force could better prevent and respond to gender based violence in our communities.

30 senior Police officers participated in the day long consultation that was led by MWCPA and co-facilitated by UN Women Pacific and the Fiji Women's Crisis Centre who are part of the #FijiNAP team.

The Fiji NAP secretariat would like to acknowledge Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji and the Fiji Police Force for making todays consultation possible.

More than 1900 individuals have been consulted so far through a series of nationwide consultations and dialogues with stakeholders from 13 key settings and communities. The various consultations are currently underway to better inform the development of the Fiji National Action Plan to Prevent Violence Against all Women and Girls.

MWCPA wishes to thank the facilitation team and the various participants for their time and contribution towards the development of the Fiji NAP in the consultation.

You can help prevent violence against all women and girls by filling the online survey available at www.fijipreventvawg.com

If you or a loved one you know is experiencing violence, please call the National Domestic Helpline 1560 or the National Child Helpline 1325 from any network. Help is available.

#FijiPreventVawg #PreventionIsPossible #TeamFiji #Partnerships

15/04/2022

The Fiji National Action Plan to Prevent Violence Against All Women and Girls secretariat and lead agencies met today to discuss the way forward for the #FijiNAP as it reaches its final stages of consultation.

The Ministry for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation Permanent Secretary Jennifer Poole said,”the Fiji NAP consultation process has been very rigorous and inclusive. We have consulted over 1900 individuals across 13 key settings throughout the country to document their ideas and strategies, on how we as a nation can better prevent violence against all women and girls in Fiji. I would like to also commend the NAP secretariat, our technical partner UN Women Pacific and our lead agencies Fiji Women's Crisis Centre, Fiji Women's Rights Movement and DIVA for Equality FIJI in making the consultation process a success.”

The MWCPA led #FijiNAP initiative is a whole-of-government, whole-of-community, evidence-based, measurable, inclusive and funded five-year plan (2022-2027) with an emphasis on stopping violence before it starts.

You can help prevent violence against all women and girls by filling the online survey available at www.fijipreventvawg.com

If you or a loved one you know is experiencing violence, please call the National Domestic Helpline 1560 or the National Child Helpline 1325 from any network. Help is available.

In 2020 Fiji embarked on an historic mission to develop a National Action Plan (NAP) to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls (2021-2026), making it the first Pacific Island Country, and one of the only two countries globally along with Australia, to have a whole of government and whole of community, inclusive, evidence-based approach to prevent violence against women and girls.

On Thursday the 16th of March 2021, the Ministry of Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation organized the Fiji National Action Plan (NAP) to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls Consultation in Vunidawa, Naitasiri. There were 50 participants from the Fiji Disable People's Federation of the 5 branches from Tailevu South, Levuka, Tailevu North, Naitasiri and Rewa participated in this one day consultation.

The Ministry of Women Children and Poverty Alleviation (MWCPA) is leading on a series of national consultations across Fiji in partnership with the Technical Working Group, government, civil society, and community stakeholders including representatives from the 13 key settings in Fiji to prevent Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG).

The Ministry thanked the Fiji NAP technical working group for facilitating the roll out of consultations and compiling the findings gathered from the persons living with disabilities in the community and also acknowledged the support of the Vanua, Church Leaders and Person Living with Disabilities Federation during this consultation process.

The NAP is a whole-of-population, whole-of-community, evidence-based, measurable, inclusive and funded five-year plan (2021-2026) which aims to put a stop to violence before it starts. This comprehensive approach is at the heart of the Fijian Government's National Action Plan to Prevent VAWG with an emphasis on stopping violence before it starts.

“Today’s NAP consultation was a challenging day, we are breaking through barriers that women with disability are facing at the National level, it’s a breakthrough and a challenge. Most of the time we are busy on the grassroots level, it’s a breakthrough for our voice to be included at the National Government level through this NAP. The NAP consultations are a kind of two-track approach, our inputs from the grassroots, community level are going alongside the Government. We know that our voices have been heard and included as part of this National Plan. We really want to get all of our voices heard so that the Government can make action”, Fiji Disable People's Federation Rewa Branch representative Ms. Litia Naitanui said.

Fiji Disable People's Federation representative, Ms. Lusiana– FDPF said that it was good to be a part of this NAP consultation, women with a disability to need to share and be involved, we have to do something to stop the violence before it starts. “We need to challenge the current ways and ensure everybody, including women and girls with a disability are able to come together to share and build upon this plan that can prevent the violence. It is very challenging for us women with a disability, we need to involve ourselves in all groups in the community for our voices to be heard”.

MWCPA acknowledges the support of its Technical Working Group and the Secretariat, and the technical and financial support through the Pacific Partnership to End Violence Against Women and Girls (Pacific Partnership), funded primarily by the European Union, and the Governments of Australia and New Zealand, and UN Women.

Ends.