Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection, Lynda Tabuya, emphasized the importance of training and learning platforms in enhancing the skills of service providers to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls. She made this statement during the certificate presentation for 42 participants of the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre’s (FWCC) 44th Flagship Regional Training Program.
The focus of this year’s program was on Gender, Violence Against Women and Girls, and Human Rights and Development. Tabuya praised FWCC Coordinator, Shamima Ali, and her team for their commitment to addressing critical issues related to gender-based violence and human rights. She noted that FWCC, as a founding member and secretariat of the Pacific Women’s Network Against Violence Against Women, plays a vital role in organizing such training to ensure that the issues facing Pacific women and girls are recognized and addressed.
Ali shared that participants engaged in discussions covering a range of topics, including rape, domestic violence, sexual harassment, child abuse, human rights laws, as well as basic counselling techniques, advocacy, and lobbying. The goal is to eliminate all forms of violence against women and children in the Pacific Region. Participants have been carefully selected from institutions and organizations that are actively involved in tackling these issues.
She expressed encouragement at the increasing number of individuals seeking to attend the training focused on eradicating violence against women and girls.
The one-month Regional Training Program took place from July 29 to August 23, equipping participants with the essential knowledge and skills necessary for effectively responding to and preventing violence against women and girls. The program included participants from a variety of civil society and government organizations from several Pacific Island countries, including Samoa, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Cook Islands, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, West Papua, Nauru, and Fiji.