Navatukia village in Naitasiri has become the latest village to commit to the Zero Tolerance Violence Free Community Campaign.

Minister for Women Rosy Akbar says the community has undergone ten phases of awareness programs, to prepare them to take the pledge to protect women and children from all forms of abuse and violence.

As part of this campaign, a billboard has been erected in front of the village which reads “Navatukia village declared violence free community,” and it’s a constant reminder to the villagers of the commitment they have made to stop violence.

“The bruises, the scars, the broken teeth may be fixed but women lose lives, families break up, children get separated from their parents, they grow up without them and looked after their guardians. Do we want that for them? I am sure many will say No.”

There are thirty women in the village, most of them stay home and make handicrafts and attend to domestic duties.

Through this initiative, women have more knowledge on their rights to access justice and laws such as the Domestic Violence Decree which gives them greater protection from domestic violence.