Stop violence demonstration by women in the small town of Koumac, New Caledonia. Photo: NC la 1ère
Intra-family violence statistics soar
Intra-family violence statistics have soared in New Caledonia, according to figures published this week.
The statistics, released to coincide with international women's day on March 8th, show an increase by 91.1 percent between 2019 and 2023.
For 2023, this means a rate of incidence of 8.4 offences per 1,000 inhabitants - 3,012 offences.
During the previous period (2022), the incidence rate was 7.1 percent.
In mainland France, the figure is 3.1 percent.
Nouméa Public Prosecutor Yves Dupas told local media this is a grave concern.
"One of the most recurrent scenarios we have to deal with is a pregnant woman being kicked in the abdomen by a man wearing safety boots."
French High Commissioner Louis Le Franc said alcohol consumption was a significant contributing factor, including in cases of violence against women.
French Polynesia's obesity prevalence
French Polynesia's obesity prevalence is believed to be among the world's highest, with one in two adults being affected.
Over 70 percent of the under-45 age group are reported to be obese with notorious links to diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases, making it a matter of public health concern.
The World Obesity Day is marked on 4 March annually.
Last month, French Polynesia's President Moetai Brotherson took part in a campaign advocating for fasting, as well as a documentary on French-German television channel Arte.
Since August 2023, fasting has been included in French Polynesia's official list of health "prevention tools", even though fasting was "not recommended as a therapeutic act in the medical sense" but had "notorious benefits on the immune system, the weight or the nervous system".
Anne Hidalgo - third from right - and her delegation welcomed by Papeete Lord Mayor Michel Buillard -middle- during her visit to Tahiti on 20 October 2023. Photo: Municipality of Papeete
Investigation into Paris mayor's trip
Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo's trip to New Caledonia and French Polynesia in October-November 2023 is subject to an ongoing judicial investigation for suspected misappropriation of public funds.
French daily newspaper Le Monde reported the inquest, which materialised on Tuesday this week with a search in Hidalgo's Paris Town Hall offices, follows a complaint lodged by an anti-corruption NGO.
During her stay in Tahiti, Hidalgo was scheduled to visit the site of Teahupoo, which will host the Paris 2024 Olympic Games surfing event in July this year.
But the visit did not eventuate due to on-site protests by environmental NGOs voicing their concern about a perceived impact on the environment, especially from a new judge's tower which is due to be completed by mid-May.
Hidalgo later explained she had decided to spend an extra two weeks with her daughter who lives in French Polynesia.
She also later explained she had paid for her return ticket out of her own pocket.
French media have this week tagged the controversial trip as a case of "bleisure" - a mix of business and leisure.
Christophe SAND and his book, Oceanian hecatomb - a history of Pacific depopulation and its consequences (16th-20th century). Photo: Au Vent des îles
Archaeologist studies depopulation post-European contact
New Caledonia's top archaeologist says the first contacts between European explorers and Pacific islands populations have caused a genuine human disaster.
His recently published book is titled "Oceanian hecatomb, a history of Pacific depopulation and its consequences (16th-20th century)".
New Caledonia's archaeological institute director Christophe Sand said some Pacific islands' populations were almost completely wiped out by new European-introduced diseases such as tuberculosis, syphilis, smallpox, leprosy, mumps or measles.
One mentioned example is Rapa Nui, which is said to have lost up to 95 percent of its population in a matter of 75 years.
Other mentioned causes for further impact on some populations include forced labour and human trafficking known as "blackbirding".
Sand is now planning to write another book dedicated to New Caledonia's indigenous Kanak depopulation since the middle of the 19th century.