FIJIAN feminists have voiced concerns over a recent policy paper titled about men and gender-based violence.
The research paper by Fijian writer Avelina Rokoduru suggested Fiji’s GBV (Gender-Based Violence) response had been hindered by a feminist lens that centered survivors. Rokoduru suggested that policy be reshaped to reflect men’s perspectives and their resistance to current gender discourses.
But the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre and Fiji Women’s Rights Movement (FWRM) said such a move would reinscribes patriarchy – a system where male dominance is normalised, and women’s experiences are devalued.
“We cannot end GBV by reinforcing the same patriarchal logic that created it,” said FWRM Director Nalini Singh.
“We need political courage to move forward – not policy dressed up in gendered neutrality that quietly protects the status quo.”