Fiji Women's Crisis Centre Completes Intimate Partner Violence Study

The Fiji Women's Crisis Centre (FWCC) has reached a significant milestone, completing the nation's second comprehensive study on intimate partner violence. This crucial research utilized the World Health Organization's (WHO) established methodology, a standard lauded globally for its ethical rigor and its capacity to produce reliable, sensitive findings.

Coordinator Shamima Ali highlighted the methodology's proven track record, noting its extensive use across the Pacific region, including in Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Kiribati, and Fiji itself. This approach is particularly valued for its commitment to prioritizing and safeguarding the well-being, confidentiality, and safety of the women participating in the study, especially those experiencing ongoing violence.

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The methodology has been used extensively across the Pacific region and in other parts of the world, including in Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Kiribati and Fiji because it produces reliable and ethical findings, while prioritising and protecting the safety, confidentiality, and well-being of women participating in the study, particularly those living with violence.

The previous study revealed a stark reality: 64 percent of women in Fiji had experienced intimate partner violence. This new survey, conducted in collaboration with the Fiji Bureau of Statistics and with Equality Institute Australia as a key consultant, delves deeper into the prevalence, incidence, and societal attitudes surrounding this pervasive issue.

While the final report and its recommendations are anticipated before the year concludes, preliminary findings are already illuminating critical shifts in the experiences and realities faced by women and girls in Fiji. The FWCC emphasizes that such reliable national data is indispensable for grasping the scale, patterns, and evolving nature of violence against women, thereby strengthening prevention strategies and response mechanisms across communities and institutions. This study is not just data collection; it is a vital tool for advocacy and change in Fiji.

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The preliminary findings are already providing important insights into changing trends, experiences and realities facing women and girls in Fiji. Reliable national data remains critical to understanding the scale, patterns, and changing nature of violence against women in Fiji and to strengthen prevention and response efforts across communities and institutions.