Kelera Ditaiki 
People participate in the Family Violence Walk to kick off a global campaign aimed at the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls at Birrarung Marr in Melbourne, Friday, November 22, 2024. [Photo Credit: AAP Image/Joel Carrett]
Australia has pledged stronger support for Fiji’s efforts to tackle drug abuse and gender-based violence.
Speaking in Suva, Deputy High Commissioner Clair McNamara said the rate of violence against women in Fiji is alarming, with two in three women experiencing abuse from an intimate partner.
She said the rising drug crisis is also a serious concern.
“Violence against women and drug abuse have no place in our workplaces or in our community, but we get there through a path of empathy and respect for those who’ve been impacted.”
Australia is working with Fiji on its National Action Plan to end violence against women and girls, and is funding shelters, counselling, and drug rehabilitation programs.
McNamara said civil servants are key to driving change, which begins with empathy and respect.
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