Violence against women in Fiji is recognised to be "pervasive, widespread and a serious national issue"[1] in the Pacific Island region.
The 2006 military coup in Fiji created an unstable political environment and heralded a range of human rights violations, including instances of violence against women.
[4] The Emergency Regulations put in place following the coup resulted in impunity for police and authorities who were involved in, or failed to prevent, instances of violence against women.
[3] Amnesty International also reported that in 2009 the Police Commissioner took part in “Christian crusades” to combat crime in Fijian urban centres.
[4] The CEDAW Committee observed that the Public Emergency Regulation promulgated at the time of the abrogation of Fiji's Constitution in 2009 granted immunity to police and military officers and allowed them to carry out the aforementioned instances of violence against women with impunity.
[3] This reluctance to prosecute stems from the widely accepted belief that men are allowed to beat their wives and partners if they have "good cause".
[3] Conventional attitudes in Fiji do not consider domestic violence a criminal offence but rather a family matter to be resolved by those involved.
[15] RRRT operates by providing "training, policy advice and technical support to Pacific governments and civil society".
[3] In cases where a person is charged with a domestic violence offence, Fiji's Criminal Procedure Decree requires the courts to "promote reconciliation and encourage and facilitate the settlement in an amicable way of the proceedings".
[26] In effect, the courts' recognition of reconciliation and forgiveness ceremonies enable perpetrators of domestic violence to escape the full force of the law and deny victims acknowledgement of the gravity of the offence.
[25] Cases of domestic violence are often prosecuted under common assault, resulting in lenient sentences for the offenders such as six months or less.
Amnesty International expressed concern over the lack of sufficient training for the judiciary in Fiji in addressing cases related to violence against women.