Press Releases
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

Three girls and three women have been murdered in Fiji since International Women’s Day last year  and many more have been hospitalized due to being beaten and raped. The Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre says we cannot talk about “Equality Rights and opportunities” if women and girls in Fiji continue to be subjected to such violence. “While we celebrate the various achievements and commemorate the day, we must not forget the lives of women and girls which have been destroyed because of such inequalities”, said Shamima Ali, Coordinator of FWCC.

The FWCC will commemorate the day by trying to include people in the rural areas as much as possible. “We set up a National Network on Violence Against Women last year and some members of this Network have actually initiated programs in their communities”, said Ali. The FWCC activities include a march in Tavua, coordinated by the Ba Women’s Crisis Centre; a one day discussion and display  in Nabouwalu and a discussion and display in Somosomo, Taveuni. The Labasa Women’s Crisis Centre will be conducting a 3-day workshop in Vanuavou for people from 6 villages in Vaturova, Cakaudrove.

The annual Reclaim the Night march is the event for Suva, bringing a closure to International Women’s Day activities. “The march is a call for safer streets for women but also safer homes, safer communities and a safer country. To ensure safety for women, we have to ensure that their rights are protected and inequalities are removed”, said Ali. “We need to ensure that their rights are protected in a system that is just and those who speak out for their rights are protected as well”. The Reclaim the night march begins at 7pm from the Suva Flea Market and ends at Government buildings. “The symbolism in this is that the governance system and the rule of law have to be working to ensure equality and justice for women at all times and as women of this country, we have the right to claim this justice”.
 
Pacific women’s rights campaigner honoured by Amnesty International

Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand (AIANZ) has granted its first ever Human Rights Defender Award to Shamima Ali, Executive Director of the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre in Suva, Fiji.

 Ali was presented the award at a ceremony on International Human Rights Day (10 December), in recognition of her outstanding contribution towards improving women’s rights in Fiji and throughout the Pacific.

“Human rights defenders put themselves on the front line, often risking life and limb to stand up for what they believe in. While we may take that for granted in New Zealand, we still need to remember that human rights abuses are happening on our doorstep,” says Patrick Holmes, Chief Executive Officer of AIANZ.

“Shamima Ali has been at the forefront of combating violence against women in the Pacific. We wanted to salute her for the immense courage she has shown in challenging the 2006 military coup in Fiji and in continuing, despite threats and intimidation, to document its impact on the people of Fiji.”

When asked about receiving the award Ms Ali said “Amnesty International New Zealand should be commended for establishing this award.  While I’m the recipient, one must remember the many other human rights defenders in Fiji and the rest of the Pacific who work just as hard.  The work doesn’t end – every day we are challenged anew.  And this award gives me further encouragement never to give up defending our rights.  This is what makes us human”

Ali was selected from a shortlist of five nominees which also included Sue Bradford, former Green MP and activist, Auckland; Kathleen Dunstall of the Howard League for Penal Reform, Christchurch; Deborah Manning former refugee advocate and counsel for Ahmed Zaoui, now Geneva-based with Alkarama Foundation for Human Rights and peace and human rights activist The Very Reverend John Stewart Murray on the Kapiti Coast.

The award ceremony was timed to celebrate International Human Rights Day – the day the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights was adopted, 61 years ago.

“As we celebrate how far we have come in the fight to eradicate human rights abuses around the world, this date and this award are reminders of how far we still have to go to achieve human rights for all people everywhere” adds Holmes.

 
 
National Meeting On Eliminating Violence Against Women

Representatives from various stakeholders around the country will be formulating their strategies to address violence against women in their communities today. This will come at the end of a two-day national meeting on violence against women organized by the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre. Following presentations and discussions from key stakeholders yesterday, participants will formulate their own strategies and make suggestions for what can take place at national level.

The meeting which began yesterday included presentations on the situation of violence against women in Fiji by the FWCC, police responses and health sector responses to the issue as well as presentations from service providers such as the Department of Social Welfare and the programs of the Ministry for Women. A report on shelters and emergency accommodation for victims was also shared with the participants.

‘What we wanted to do was to firstly make people aware about what was currently available and the limitations and challenges currently being faced. It was also an opportunity for participants from around the country to ask questions of these various service providers’, said Shamima Ali, Coordinator of FWCC. “What is very clear is that services are often centralized so there are sections of the community that are missed out and then of course there are other limitations such as the attitudes that exist in terms of service delivery”, said Ali.

Today the focus will be on finding practical strategies for the various communities given the current resource constraints that are being faced by various service providers. “Participants have chosen to strategise at district level as this would be most practical for them and we will try
and see how we can coordinate this work at national level”, said Ali.

The meeting which is a part of theFWCC 16 Days of Activism campaign continues today at JJs on the Park and presentations of strategies will begin at 2pm.
 
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