The Fiji Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission has urged the Government to focus on reviewing existing mechanisms related to gender issues to accelerate progress towards parity.
Commission director Loukinikini Lewaravu said a similar call was made when the commission delivered its presentation to the Pacific Technical Cooperation Session of the CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women) Committee this week.
“The commission acknowledges the actions the Government has taken in advancing the rights of women and girls,” Mrs Lewaravu said.
However, she said increased gender-based violence and continuing gender gaps, inequality, and inequities across various sectors demonstrated persistent societal or cultural barriers, discriminatory norms and values and systemic biases.
These, she said, resisted and challenged the empowerment of women and girls.
“The commission also called on the Government to ratify the optional protocol to CEDAW at the earliest. The commission made the following recommendations during the Pacific Technical Cooperation Session of the CEDAW Committee,” she said.
The first is for the State to facilitate support for children who were unable to attend school for not having birth certificates.
In addition, the State must put in place measures for gender quotas and a certain percentage should be allocated to women candidates.
There was also a call to reform the electoral system and provide capacity building and awareness to encourage more women to take up leadership roles.
“In light of the continued prevalence of cyber-bullying cases, the commission recommends strengthening existing online safety legislation to ensure more effective protection and enforcement.
“The commission urges both the State and private/community actors to actively promote awareness among women and girls about the risks of cervical cancer.
“It is essential to address and dismantle cultural barriers that hinder open dialogue on reproductive health rights.”
Mrs Lewaravu also said the commission called on the State to invest in upgrading oncology units across all public hospitals to ensure timely and effective treatment for women diagnosed with cancer.
In addition to this, the commission has called for strengthening the enforcement of the Employment Relations Act 2007 to promote fair treatment at the workplace and address workplace discrimination.
“The State to strengthen mechanisms to identify, protect, and assist victims of trafficking and sexual exploitation and to provide them with legal support.
“The State to strengthen its data collection mechanisms to support evidence-based policy-making that is also rights-based to ensure that all women and girls benefit from targeted initiatives aimed at achieving gender equality and equity.”
Other recommendations include repealing laws and policies that unlawfully restricted fundamental rights of freedom of association and assembly, ensuring human rights defenders freely carried out their legitimate activities.
Mrs Lewaravu said responses to disaster risk reduction and climate must also take a human rights-based approach with an emphasis on women’s participation.
“The commission remains committed to working with the Government, civil society organisations, NGOs, and the wider communities in monitoring the implementation and impact of CEDAW in the promotion and protection of the rights of women and girls.”
