Minister for Women Lynda Tabuya has condemned the alleged brutal killing of a woman by her husband in Narewa, Nadi last week.

Tabuya says the tragic incident is not an isolated occurrence and it mirrors a narrative of a mother, daughter, neighbour, friend and sister allegedly falling victim to violence at the hands of her intimate partner.

She says this is a stark reflection of a national crisis that transcends individual acts of aggression and confirms system gender inequalities deeply rooted within our society.

According to the Minister, statistics indicate that 60 percent of Fijian women have experienced some form of violence in their lifetime and that two out of every three women have suffered physical or sexual violence at the hands of a male intimate partner during their lives.

Tabuya adds such a national crisis demands the unwavering attention of people across all walks of life.

She says women and girls, in all diversity, can only be truly safe when they are recognized as equal partners in homes, schools, places of worship, workplaces, sports fields, boardrooms, online spaces and treated with respect.

Within this context, Tabuya says the government’s stance is clear and resolute that gender-based violence is a crime that will not be tolerated.

She says government refuses to allow Fijian women and girls to live in fear and be constantly subjected to the horrors of violence, whether it is behind closed doors, online or in public settings.

Meanwhile 39-year-old Waisea Turagadra has been remanded in custody, charged with one count of murder for allegedly seriously assaulting his 38-year-old wife, which resulted in her death.

He appeared in the Nadi Magistrates Court yesterday and the matter has been transferred to the Lautoka High Court on November 15th.

According to Police, Turagadra allegedly seriously assaulted his wife in their Narewa home on Sunday, after a heated argument.