Report - Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights

As far as <strong>the</strong> Indigenous Fijian vanua gender ideology constructs, women are seen as <strong>the</strong> helpmate
to a male household leader. Power is constructed openly, and <strong>of</strong>ten aggressively, by chiefs and <strong>the</strong>n
by <strong>the</strong> Indigenous community at large, as being perpetually and unchangeably in terms <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> male
as owner, protector, defender and perpetuator <strong>of</strong> culture.
While, <strong>the</strong>re are individual woman <strong>of</strong> chiefly background or wealth who have high pr<strong>of</strong>iles and access
to power, yet in <strong>the</strong>ir own homes <strong>the</strong> construction reverts to male as household head/leader and
protector. Gender roles are less rigidly bound today with many women working in <strong>the</strong> cash economy,
but it is arguable that for most this has meant that such income is <strong>the</strong>n integrated into <strong>the</strong> overall
household income where <strong>the</strong>re is a male head. There are also single female-headed households but even
<strong>the</strong>se are constructed as coming within <strong>the</strong> male centred and headed ‘mataqali’ or greater family group.
Young people in <strong>the</strong> Indigenous Fijian culture are socialized in an ideology or framework where <strong>the</strong>
extended family as collective is idealized. Roles are rigidly prescribed, regardless <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> realities <strong>of</strong>
economic and social existence, in rural and urban communities. Women are born and socialized into
a household unit, where <strong>the</strong>y are a ‘youth’ until <strong>the</strong>y are married, and <strong>the</strong>n <strong>the</strong>y become part <strong>of</strong> ano<strong>the</strong>r
male-headed household.
Those seen as outside that norm are most <strong>of</strong>ten ridiculed, excluded or censured to varying degrees
- verbally, emotionally and/or physically. Where <strong>the</strong> non-compliance with social norms is sexual, as
with lesbians, <strong>the</strong> exclusion and oppression is even worse.
Here we must consider <strong>the</strong> role <strong>of</strong> religion in Indigenous Fijian life. The majority <strong>of</strong> Fijians still identify
as being Christian, and with <strong>the</strong> rise <strong>of</strong> fundamentalist religions in Fiji along with <strong>the</strong> established
Methodist Church in Fiji, <strong>the</strong> idea <strong>of</strong> ‘vanua’ is firmly tied in with Christian values. Therefore, lesbians
are considered by many as deviant and seen as committing <strong>the</strong> worst type <strong>of</strong> sins – those <strong>of</strong> abusing
<strong>the</strong> body, which is a temple <strong>of</strong> God.
When many <strong>of</strong> my indigenous extended family look at me <strong>the</strong>y see a deviant, someone who brings
shame to <strong>the</strong> family, someone who is not ‘womanly’ and someone who is a sinner. This is <strong>the</strong> overarching
experience for most indigenous Fijian lesbians and is experienced in greater or lesser degrees depending
on individual families, location and socio-economic status. This must first be understood before we
move to specific discriminations and inadequate access to housing because it impacts directly on <strong>the</strong>
levels at which our individual human rights are not recognised, how <strong>the</strong>y are not enjoyed and how
<strong>the</strong>y are not exercised. These are our some <strong>of</strong> our stories….
Case Studies:
Case Study 1 – Insecurity and freedom from dispossession
This is my story <strong>of</strong> finding a safe space for my partner and myself. On my fa<strong>the</strong>r’s side I am from Sou<strong>the</strong>rn
Fiji and we retain strong linkages to our village. My mo<strong>the</strong>r is an Australian. I live in Fiji. Since coming
out as lesbian many extended family members have excluded me, but my immediate family still supports
me, which is a huge guarantee. In Fiji, many women face multiple discrimination, in my case for being
indigenous, for being born to a non-indigenous mo<strong>the</strong>r, for being a lesbian, a woman, and also a feminist
and human rights activist. I am seen as violating many unwritten, unspoken but socially and <strong>of</strong>ten
legally enforced social, cultural and economic roles, all at once.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 171