Shamima Ali [Photo: FILE]

Years of work to reduce violence against women and children can be undone when messages that place men as the unquestioned heads of households continue to be preached.

That warning has come from Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre Coordinator Shamima Ali, who says while progress has been made in engaging churches and faith-based organisations, deeply rooted beliefs and growing religious fundamentalism remain major obstacles.

“Women of all religious faiths come to us, from all cultural backgrounds and so on. There’s no, we cannot say this, nobody comes to us and things like that. But there’s also a certain fundamentalism, that are coming in with the denominations and so on.”

She says while some churches have shown openness and built strong partnerships with FWCC, conservative teachings that reinforce male dominance can quickly undermine efforts to promote gender equality and safety in homes.

Ali stresses that collaboration only works when organisations are willing to listen and challenge harmful narratives, adding that some faith groups have taken positive steps, while others remain resistant.

Meanwhile, Faith Harvest Church Senior Pastor Reverend Manasa Kolivuso says men must be at the centre of efforts to address abuse.

Kolivuso says protecting women and children is a responsibility men must take seriously, acknowledging that abuse is often driven by the actions of men themselves.

He believes engaging men directly is a critical angle in tackling violence, saying real change will only happen when men are prepared to confront abusive behaviour and take accountability.

Both Ali and Kolivuso agree that without confronting harmful attitudes and beliefs head-on, the cycle of violence will continue, despite years of advocacy and awareness efforts.

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