| News Article with Lynnie & Shekinah [12/2/2009] |
(Here is an online article from the local Fiji paper, in which HoH spoke about violence against women.)
Speak out
Fiji TImes
Thursday, December 03, 2009
EIGHTY per cent of women at a shelter for single mothers and their children are victims of abuse.
Home of Hope researcher Shekinah Ralulu said the male advocacy work was assisting their work and empowering women.
"Eighty per cent of our residents have been abused at some point either physical, verbal and usually it is partner abuse, not necessarily the husband or spouse," she said.
"Most of the women are single mothers.
"We have 28 single mothers so right now there are about 100 people living on campus.
"We feel that what the Fiji Women's Crisis Centre is doing with the male advocacy program is excellent. We see it as helping us because they are empowering the women and helping men."
Home director Lynn Roche said since the home opened, women who lived with them did not have steady or faithful partners to support them.
Speaking on the new Domestic Violence Decree, she said "even if this law is potentially there, the men we were encountering through these women, tend to be irresponsible anyway.
"We have gone to court to try and get maintenance for the girls but that hasn't been so effective.
"While it is a great idea with the women we are working with I don't know how we will get the men to be responsible or to stay responsible."
Mrs Roche called on women not to put up with violence and to speak out against it.
"They need to talk to somebody whether it is a local law enforcement officer or neighbour," she said.
"They need to stand up and say this is not right and I am not going to accept this anymore."
"Many women are afraid of being on their own that they will endure the abuse or they are afraid of their family stigmatism or family rejection," she said.
"If women can see abuse as it is that it is abuse and is wrong and are willing to stand up for it there are organisations like us, the crisis centre and Fiji Women's Rights Movement to help them out."
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