[File Photo]

70 cases of child rape have been reported to the Fiji Women’s Crisis Center between January and October this year.

These numbers are alarming, and women’s organizations are working more closely to raise awareness about gender-based violence and put a stop to it.

According to Fiji Women’s Rights Movement Executive Director Nalini Singh, violence against women and girls remains a prevalent issue in the country.

Singh says the 16 Days of Activism plays a very important role in highlighting the different kinds of violence that women and girls face and what could be done to stop it.

“Gender-based violence and the way in which address that requires a multi-faceted approach so with this campaign it puts a spotlight onto that so I cant say that it is directly contributing to reducing rate of violence but it is definitely giving it more awareness and as an issue, at least informing people that there are so many ways in which we can act to stop that.”

The Fiji Women’s Crisis Center has also recorded 1,113 cases of domestic violence in the first ten months of this year.

Since 1984, the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre and its branches have attended to more than 40,000 survivors.