A woman who abandons her family can be told to pay maintenance costs to her husband if found guilty under the Family Law Act.

Speaking to the Namosi Provincial Council members, Navua social welfare officer Teresia Marama said a mother can also be summoned to court by her husband.

She said previously, only the men paid maintenance costs, but under the Family Law Act, it also deals with women abandoning their families.

Meanwhile, a recent survey shows that 99% of the youths who commit crime in Fiji come from broken families and she has urged provincial council members to assist in preaching the importance of family values.