Mosese Raqio 
[File Photo]
Minister for Information Lynda Tabuya says the growing wave of online abuse targeting women is no longer a personal issue but a serious national problem that is harming Fiji’s productivity, leadership and future.
Tabuya says women and girls make up half of our population, yet statistics show about 66 percent face some form of abuse, with women being attacked ten times more than men online.
She says when women are subjected to online abuse, it causes psychological harm, anxiety, fear and trauma, making them less able to contribute fully to their families, workplaces and society.
“When we have women who we need to be productive, who we need to take care of families, who we need to be able to contribute to society, when they are attacked, what do they face? They face psychological harm, with that comes anxiety, there’s fear, there’s trauma and so there is a cost to it, which makes her unproductive.”
She says online abuse is also directly discouraging capable women from entering politics and leadership.
Tabuya says in 2018 there were 11 women in Parliament, but this dropped to just five after the 2022 elections, following intense online abuse during the campaign period.
She says only 8 percent of voters voted for women, with 92 percent voting for men.
Tabuya warns that declining female representation in leadership will hurt families, society and Fiji as a whole.
Meanwhile, Faith Harvest Church Senior Pastor Reverend Manasa Kolivuso says addressing violence against women also requires tackling the root causes of male behaviour.
He says many men who abuse women are themselves victims of unresolved trauma and abuse, and calls for deliberate national policies focused on educating, mentoring and rehabilitating men.
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