We must never abuse, hurt or intimidate our women and children.
Those are the words of Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama as he spoke to people in Naividamu, Macuata.
Bainimarama says the Fijian economy is booming and our prospects have never been greater but economic progress and development must be accompanied by social progress, by greater civility and an abandonment of violence.
The Prime Minister says rape and domestic violence are the ugly underbelly of our culture.
He says everyone must work together to stop these incidents.
Bainimarama says everyone must stand up against rapes and domestic violence, and bring down shame on anyone who abuses or even thinks of abusing our women and children.
He says this is the only way these incidents will stop.
Bainimarama says this subject is very important to him as Prime Minister, as a Fijian, and as a man.
He says the government has changed laws to make sure that rapists and people who batter their wives and children are punished severely.
But Bainimarama says laws are not enough.
The Prime Minister says we must come together as a society, to eradicate this terrible problem.
He says we need to create a culture within our society that condemns and shames this behaviour.
Statistics revealed last month indicated that about 43 women are injured as a result of domestic violence in Fiji on a daily basis.
This is according to a Fiji Women’s Crisis Center Survey in 2015.
Ten women everyday lose consciousness from these attacks and 29 have an ear drum broken while one woman in a day experiences disability as a result of being attacked.
To combat these statistics, the Ministry of Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Fiji Police Force last month.
Meanwhile the Prime Minister revealed late last year that Fiji now has an average of one reported rape case a day.
He said this is a national crisis.
Bainimarama is calling on women to report any incidents of rape, domestic violence or child abuse.
