Litia Cava 
[Source: The Conversation]
A recent study on how iTaukei men view violence against women has drawn strong criticism from feminist advocates and organisations for excluding the voices of survivors and relying solely on a small group of educated, urban men.
The Fiji Women’s Rights Movement and other experts say this narrow focus ignores rural men, women survivors, and existing feminist research that highlights the true impact of gender-based violence.
FWRM Chair Akanisi Nabalarua stated the study was a limited perception survey that offers no new insights and fails to address the deeper issues of power and control behind violence.
She emphasises that Fiji already has a National Action Plan developed with broad community input, which includes a planned, rigorous national survey to understand attitudes and behaviours related to GBV.
Critics also point out that the study accepts men’s accounts at face value without verifying facts or including survivor perspectives.
It does not compare violent men with non-violent men, making its conclusions incomplete. Additionally, the study’s claim that feminist policies “don’t work” is unfounded and dismisses decades of proven efforts to protect women.
The FWRM highlights ethical concerns, noting that men admitting to violence were not offered support, and survivors were excluded altogether.
The organisation urges future research to be ethical, inclusive, survivor-centered, and aligned with the NAP, focusing on accountability rather than excuses.
FWRM calls on researchers, donors, and policymakers to produce work that genuinely helps end violence by listening to the women most affected.
Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.
