Project Report – Fiji 2010 - Pacific Health Voices

4. Preliminary data from Kiribati survey shows that physical violence was the most prevalent
form of partner violence followed by emotional abuse and closely by sexual partner violence.
Sixty percent of women reported that they had experienced physical partner violence and 46%
of women reported that they had experienced sexual partner violence. Overall, 68% of women
reported that they had experienced physical or sexual partner violence, or both. Twenty three
per cent of women who had ever been pregnant reported being beaten by a partner during
their pregnancy. Seventeen per cent of women who reported experiencing violence during
their pregnancy had been punched or kicked in the abdomen while they were pregnant, and
18% of women aged 15–49 reported that they had experienced sexual abuse when they were
under the age of 15. 10
4.5 Forms of VAW in Melanesia
According to AusAID (2008), VAW is severe and pervasive in Melanesia and East Timor. The two
most common forms of violence against women in East Timor, Fiji, PNG, Solomon Islands and
Vanuatu are: i) physical, psychological and economic violence against women by intimate
partners; and ii) all forms of sexual violence perpetrated by intimate partners or others. This is
consistent with global trends (ibid; vii);
Fiji
In Fiji, the common forms of violence against women are domestic violence, rape within
marriage, sexual violence, and prostitution and trafficking (UNFPA, 2008:11)
Domestic violence refers to violence occurring within a relationship and includes intimate
partner violence, violence between family members and sometimes, this extends to other
domestic relationships. Domestic violence is not just limited to physical violence but includes
sexual violence, emotional/ psychological violence and economic violence (UNFPA, 2008:11).
Domestic violence stems from the unequal power relations between partners and involves the
use of power and control of one person over another within the relationship.
Accordingly, Fiji Police Force statistics indicated 13% of all Crimes Against the Person in the
period from 2003 to 2007 being attributed to domestic violence (UNFPA, 2008; 11). During this
time, there were about 82% women victims and 18% men victims. For e.g. in 2007 alone, the
Fiji Police recorded a total of 457 cases of domestic violence throughout the country. During the
period from 2003-2007, there were fifteen murders committed in a domestic violence setting
and of this total 13 of the victims were women. Overall, the Fiji Police Force data indicates a
downward trend in cases of domestic violence over the past six years from 2001 to 2007 with a
reduction in reporting from 941 cases in 2001 to 457 cases in 2007 (Ibid; 12). However as noted
elsewhere, there are differences in VAW incidence reporting to the Fiji Police against those
reported to the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre (FWCC) as in Table 1 below.
10 UNDP 2009, Gender and HIV in the Pacific Islands region - A review of evidence, policies and strategies with
recommendations, UNDP Pacific Centre
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