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Faith setting fundamental in preventing violence: Reverend Lomaloma

November 29, 2022 12:10 pm

[File Photo]

Ending violence against women and girls through faith shows positive results in at least three communities in the central division.

House of Sarah, closely aligned with the Anglican Diocese of Polynesia, piloted the “Preventing Violence against Women in Fiji’s Faith settings” Project in New Town, Matata, and Wailoku in 2018.

According to Founder Reverend Sereima Lomaloma, the pilot project has reshaped relations between men and women in these communities.

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Reverend Lomaloma says for gender-equal attitudes, behaviour, and non-violent relationship to be sustained everyone in the community needs to be talking about it and making changes.

“Changing attitude and behaviour is possible when individuals begin to critically reflect on the prattles that influence their attitudes and thinking such as the teaching of their faith and the cultural values and the use of power and make the decision to change.”

The project has a dedicated project team of five and 26 community activists have been recruited to engage the community.

The House of Sarah together with UN Women’s also launched a co-authored paper: We Are All Created Equal – Preventing Violence against Women and Girls in Fiji’s Faith Settings.

This paper is for policymakers, practitioners, and faith-based organizations working to prevent violence against women and girls in faith settings in Fiji, the Pacific, and beyond.

It describes the journey of House of Sarah, a faith-based civil society organization in Suva, Fiji, working to prevent violence against women and girls. It documents evidence and lessons so that others may learn from and be inspired by their experience.