Shania Shayal Prasad 
A recent incident has raised serious concerns over online violence against women in Fiji.
A video surfaced showing a Fijian man claiming he secretly recorded intimate moments with his partner and threatened to post them online unless she complied with his demands.
Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre Coordinator Shamima Ali says cases of online abuse are rising, with survivors facing threats, sexual blackmail, and exposure.
Ali says online violence does not always involve physical harm, but threats and manipulation can leave women and children living in constant fear.
She adds that the FWCC continues to receive cases where perpetrators threaten to release intimate images unless victims comply with sexual demands.
“So it’s a huge shame for women and girls when they are bullied, when they are exposed in these various pictures and things, and the threats that go with it. Send me more pictures or come and have sex with me, otherwise I’ll release more of these pictures and things like that.”
Ali stresses that reporting numbers alone are meaningless if perpetrators are not identified, prosecuted, or held accountable, leaving survivors without closure or justice.
FWCC Counsellor Supervisor Elina Cagilaba says technology has made these crimes faster, easier, and far more damaging, leaving victims vulnerable to fear and humiliation.
“There can be some kind of action, some kind of form of threats that will instill fear, or there will be an act of manipulation that will make the survivor or the woman or the child scared.”
The surge in online abuse highlights the urgent need for stronger laws, better enforcement, and robust support systems to protect victims, deliver justice, and deter perpetrators.
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