Women and children friendly spaces will be established in several communities in Vanua Levu as a way forward following the devastation and trauma experienced during TC Yasa.

Divisional Women Interest Officer Northern Moira Vaáfou says these friendly spaces will provide continued psycho-social support to the women and children traumatized by the cyclone.

Last week, the Ministry received several reports of trauma cases in the most affected communities in Vanua Levu.

Vaáfou says the objective of setting up these friendly spaces is to have personnel in the vicinity of the communities who these women and children can talk to.

“When people are traumatized, they have problems, they don’t speak about it until they are provided with an environment of which they can speak freely and impart or share what they are going through.”

Vaáfou adds, this is a way forward for psycho-social services support and gender based violence prevention in the community as well.

The women friendly spaces will be established by the Ministry of Women and its partner agency UNFPA.