Four out of five children are facing some sort of abuse, the Violence Against Children in Fiji Report has revealed.
Speaking at the launch of the report in Suva yesterday, Minister for Women. Children and Social Protection, Lynda Tabuya said the responsibility falls on all of us to tackle this problem by working together with stakeholders and the communities.
She said the Child Justice Bill and the Child Protection Bill is currently being consulted.
“I have sort for the two bills to be reviews, especially with UNICEF, who have expertise in legislation, because we have established the Department for Children. We need to be able to fit the role of the director into the two Bills, so that there is power and teeth.”
Tabuya said the Ministry is in the process of building up the Department of Children.
“It is very confronting… it is with a heavy heart that we see this statistics, but it is a challenge for us and also our responsibility for all of us to come together to deal with it and to make Fiji are safer place for our children,” Tabuya added.
