Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection, Lynda Tabuya, emphasized the importance of training and learning platforms in enhancing the skills of service providers and in addressing violence against women and girls within diverse communities. She made these remarks during the certificate presentation for 42 participants of the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre’s (FWCC) 44th Regional Training Program.
This year’s training program centered around Gender, Violence Against Women and Girls, and Human Rights and Development. Tabuya praised FWCC Coordinator, Shamima Ali, and her team for their commitment to confronting critical issues related to gender-based violence and human rights. She noted that the FWCC, as a founding member of the Pacific Women’s Network Against Violence Against Women, plays a crucial role in organizing training to ensure that the concerns of Pacific women and girls are acknowledged and tackled in national and regional initiatives.
Ali mentioned that participants were exposed to a variety of subjects including rape, domestic violence, sexual harassment, child abuse, human rights laws, basic counseling, advocacy, and lobbying. She stated that the overall goal is to eradicate violence against women and children throughout the Pacific Region, selecting participants strategically from institutions and organizations actively engaged in these issues.
Participants were encouraged to discuss and analyze the factors contributing to violence against women, girls, and children in diverse Pacific societies. Ali expressed optimism about the growing number of individuals committed to eradicating violence against women and girls who are applying for training.
The month-long Regional Training Program, conducted from July 29 to August 23, aimed to provide participants with vital knowledge and skills for effectively preventing and responding to all forms of violence against women and girls. It included representatives from various civil society and government organizations from countries including Samoa, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Cook Islands, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, West Papua, Nauru, and Fiji.