The Fiji Women's Rights Movement has welcomed the government's economic empowerment plan for women in the country.
Nalini Singh, Chair of NGO Coalition for Human Rights in Fiji. Photo: Supplied/ Fiji Women’s Rights Movement
Last week, the government announced it would move to strengthen its work around gender issues and creating opportunities for women to move out of poverty.
The movement's director, Nalini Singh, said the new strategy would enable women to gain independence and a better life.
She said efforts must be made to ensure that stereotypes - that women are not able to earn a livelihood - do not deter women from reporting their violent perpetrators.
"Economic empowerment is important but that needs to be coupled with a lot of other sensitization and training around how we act faster when it comes to, you know, reporting against perpetrators who commit such crimes. Is it just about economic livelihood or does it have to more wholistic?"
Nalini Singh said eight women had lost their lives to domestic violence this year with the most recent - a 19-year-old allegedly killed by her partner last Friday.
A candlelight vigil was held on Monday to remember the women.