A new sanctuary for women and children who are victims of violence and natural disaster will be built soon.
Speaking during the ground-breaking ceremony in Lautoka today, Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation, Mereseini Vuniwaqa raised serious concerns on the cases of rape, violence and sexual assault that are happening in the communities.
Vuniwaqa says that our culture should never be a platform for violence, rape and sexual assault.
“Culture must never be allowed to be used as a justification and must never be used as a platform to perpetuate violence in our homes.”
Meanwhile, the shelter is an initiative of Soroptimist International of the South West Pacific and will be the first of several planned throughout the country.
The cost of the shelter is around $200,000 which will be opened next year.
