Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre co-ordinator Shamima Ali says some women have become suicidal as a result of continued technology-facilitated abuse.
Ms Ali was one of the speakers at the two-day Women Invigorating the Nation (WIN) Convention held at the Grand Pacific Hotel over the weekend.
“It’s good to see what’s out there because we learn from it, what do we have to target and things like that,” Ms Ali said.
“It’s got its users, but again, with that space comes online violence.
“We’ve also got a lot of technology-facilitated abuse, a lot of women are complaining about that, women are suicidal because of that so it’s got the downside as well.”
She said policy makers needed to be aware of where they were when moving into the digital age.
“We have some of the highest rates of violence in the world – two in three women in this country, the last survey in 2011.
“We’re hoping, but not very hopeful, that we might see a decrease because many other things have happened, COVID, disaster, climate change.”
Ms Ali said women needed to be looked at in their own unique diversities and not compared with others.
“We are women together, our destinies are entwined, but we have to look at them in their own diversities.
“Women solidarity is very important (to) all of us, if we are in this together, we can make and can do anything.”
The feminist activist said women must support each other and rid off the tall poppy syndrome.
“Someone is looking very nice, swaying in the wind, and we try to cut them down to the ground.
“When someone is swaying in the wind, we lift that person higher. “When someone is not swaying, then we take her along with us.
“When a woman is in trouble, we stand up for her in all the diversity for her rights and we support each other.”
