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Violence Against Women Statistics Paint Grim Picture In The Pacific
A UN Women report says the prevalence of reported physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence - taking place in the previous 12 months - is 30 percent in Melanesia.
The United Nations organisation for women, UN Women, has released a report on the progress made to advancing gender equality and the empowerment for women and girls.
The report is to inform this month's Asia-Pacific regional intergovernmental review of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BPfA).
The BPfA was adopted in 1995 at the Fourth World Conference on Women and covered 12 areas of concern, including women and poverty, education and training of women, violence against women, and women in power and decision-making.
The report said that in Oceania, excluding Australia and New Zealand, the prevalence of reported physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence - taking place in the past 12 months - was 30 per cent in Melanesia, 22 percent in Micronesia and 19 percent in Polynesia.
For lifetime prevalence, available data disaggregated by SDG regional groupings suggest the rate for women aged 15-49 years stands at 27 per cent in Asia and 30 per cent in Oceania.
Melanesia recorded the highest prevalence at 51 per cent, followed by Micronesia (41 per cent), Polynesia (39 percent), Southern Asia (35 percent), western Asia (29 percent), and Australia and New Zealand (23 percent).
The report also quoted another study on violence against women and girls in Solomon Islands, which showed productivity loss of women in the formal sector, due to intimate partner violence, reached about US$15 million in 2021.
"Gender-based violence is rooted in entrenched gender social norms about men's entitlement and privilege over women, unequal gender power relations and socially prescribed gender roles," the report said.
"The impacts of violence extend far beyond immediate physical and emotional trauma for victims/survivors that can last throughout their lifetime."
The report makes multiple recommendations, including transforming gender social norms.
It said the Asia-Pacific region has made noticeable progress towards achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls since the adoption of the BPfA, but critical challenges remain persistent.
On Monday, the UN Women campaign '16 days of activism against gender-based violence' began.
The UN said every 11 minutes in 2022, partners and family members killed a woman intentionally.
Fiji is taking part in the activism, and prime minister Sitiveni Rabuka said gender-based violence affects every community in Fiji.
He said it is an issue that demands collective action, "not just during these 16 days, but every day of the year, every year".
"We all have a role to play in challenging harmful attitudes that normalise abuse or discrimination," he said.
Rabuka said preventing violence in society starts at home.
"Preventing violence is not just about policies or programmes; it is about the values we hold in our omes and the lessons we teach our children."
Rabuka said every act of kindness, example of respect and moment of empathy within families lays the foundation for a society free from violence.
In Aotearoa New Zealand, Le Va's Atu-Mai violence prevention programme is launching new child sexual abuse prevention resources.
The resources cover topics such as Pasifika values, talanoa to protect, protecting our Pasifika children, knowing who is in your village, and be courageous and act.
Atu-Mai Violence prevention senior manager, Paul Tupou-Vea, said there aren't enough Pacific-specific resources, "so we hope these resources help our communities in a culturally sensitive way".
"Sexual violence is an uncomfortable topic, but it has significant, ongoing impacts on our communities."
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