Minister for Women and Children, Lynda Tabuya [left] at the Attorney General’s Conference

Minister for Women and Children, Lynda Tabuya, says they will conduct Fiji’s first National Community Attitude Survey to track the effectiveness of the National Action Plan.

Speaking at the Attorney General’s Conference, Tabuya states that they will collaborate with the Fiji Bureau of Statistics to conduct the survey over the next five years.

Tabuya says Fijian women and girls need to feel safe when they stand as equal partners in homes, schools, places of worship, and at workplaces.

She adds they deserve the same respect, opportunities and resources as men and boys.

“This data will also inform our national social marketing campaigns across the key settings and in the online space. And I’m definitely a big fan of data and evidence, and this is where this NAP is the second only in the world because it is evidence based. It is based on data that was obtained from government ministries and the Fiji Bureau of Statistics.”

Tabuya stresses that in today’s digital age, they cannot overlook the pressing matter of online gender based violence.

She adds that the relevant authorities must be equipped to combat online perpetrators, whether they are a troll, or actually doing it under an alias.

“I’m actually very encouraged that the Fiji Police Force is now moving towards technology where they can trace perpetrators straight to their IP addresses here in Fiji. And this is something we need to strengthen because we need to address the online violence that our people are facing, predominantly women and girls.”

Tabuya says they are aiming for the review of the Online Safety Act in collaborating with the Office of the Attorney General and the Online Safety Commission.