MEDIA RELEASE
Released By:
Sullivan
On International Women's Day 1999, I am pleased to announce that Australia will play a key role in supporting an initiative aimed at reducing domestic violence in the Pacific. This announcement has particular significance given that a theme for this year's International Women's Day is 'A World Free of Violence Against Women'.
The Australian Government will provide up to $2.2 million over the next 5 years to help the Fiji Women's Crisis Centre provide counselling services for those women and children in the Pacific who are the victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse.
This marks the third phase of our assistance to the Centre since 1990, which will now total $4.33 million.
Statistics show that seven out of ten women in Fiji live in violent situations. The Fiji Women's Crisis Centre receives an average of five to seven new cases of domestic violence each day.
Australia's assistance will extend the Centre's counselling and community education services to the rural areas and outlying islands of Fiji. The community education program aims to change community attitudes about violence against women.
This assistance is essential, not only to reduce violence against women, but also to remove obstacles that prevent Fijian women from achieving social and economic equality.
Of course, domestic violence does not occur only in Fiji. However, the Fiji Women's Crisis Centre is also the Secretariat of the Pacific Women's Network Against Violence Against Women. It therefore plays an important role in combating domestic violence in the Pacific region through the coordination of services and advocacy by 24 agencies across 11 Pacific Island states.
Promoting women's access to the benefits of development, including ending violence against women, is a priority of the Australian Government's aid program. Media Contacts:
Media contacts:
Judy Nixon 0411 287 258 or 02 6277 4381
Kirsten Hawke (AusAID) 02 6206 4971