[File Photo]

Strengthening relationships and empowering women are key strategies to stopping violence against women and children in Fiji and the region.

While launching the Gender Status Card yesterday, UN Women Fiji Multi-Country Office representative, Sandra Bernklau says transforming harmful beliefs and norms into gender equal will ensure that cases of violence are reduced in a region, where rates of violence impacts two out of three women.

“Implementations of these strategies and phase settings is critical. We need to change those harmful social norms in the Pacific and the  launch of these resource and the efforts of the collective, through the Pacific Council of Churches and other faith-based partners, I think we are well on our way.”

As an example, Bernklau says the UN Women is working with the Vanuatu Christian Council on national efforts to shift hearts and minds within faith communities.