SUVA, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Fiji's Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation Mereseini Vuniwaqa said Monday it is a matter of shame and disgrace that violence against women is reported in such high numbers in Fiji as this was not the way the world should be.
Speaking at the Gender, Violence Against Women and Human Rights Training for the ministry staff, Vuniwaqa said violence against women and girls is life threatening not only because of the lives that are at risk but because it is going to continue in a cycle if it does not stop now.
She said violence against women is a social problem that many people witness and experience throughout their life cycle; sometimes as victims and sometimes as aggressors.
Vuniwaqa's comments come after a 19-year-old woman lost her life for allegedly being punched and stabbed by her partner during a heated argument over a message that was sent to a relative of the victim on Friday.
In another incident, a 23-year-old pregnant woman also passed away last month after being allegedly assaulted by her partner in Nasese, Suva, the capital of Fiji.
Last year five women died in Fiji as a result of domestic violence, according to the Fiji Women's Crisis Center (FWCC) earlier reports.
FWCC coordinator Shamima Ali said violence against women continued to take a toll and while five allegedly died at the hands of their husbands and partners, many others were left injured.
Ali said there is a great need for all agencies and personnel working for eliminating violence to be on the same page and align with global best practice.
In 2017, Fiji launched a domestic violence toll-free helpline, in hope of reducing domestic violence against women in the country with a population of around 900,000.
