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SPC takes action on domestic violence by supporting staff

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media release

Domestic Violence Workshop

FWCC Coordinator, Shamima Ali addresses SPC staff on Domestic Violence

Suva, Fiji – In response to the death of an employee, Losana McGowan, earlier this year following an alleged domestic violence incident, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) is taking action to build more awareness within the workplace.

“At SPC, we’re moving to ensure that our staff are better informed and that there are proper systems in place to provide resources and adequate support to staff who are experiencing domestic violence,” the Director of SPC’s Geoscience Division, Professor Michael Petterson, said.

A workshop was held this week in Suva by the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre (FWCC), as a pilot for SPC staff from the division that Losana had worked, to build on the healing process and awareness on the issues of domestic violence.

The workshop was led by FWCC Coordinator, Shamima Ali, following a request from SPC, and is part of the Centre’s ongoing outreach with many agencies and stakeholders.

“Our workshops help people develop a better understanding of domestic violence and issues relating to it, including gender power relations and their link to domestic violence, and to gain skills for appropriate responses to domestic violence,” Ms Ali said.

The workshop is just one action being taken by SPC to address this issue with its staff. SPC is updating its domestic violence policy, to make it more visible and relevant for staff. Its release will be accompanied by training for SPC staff to ensure that everyone is educated on these issues and better equipped to seek help or provide support to those who need it.

“The workshop gave staff an opportunity to discuss issues of domestic violence in a free and open setting. The training was well received, with many of our staff reporting that it made them more aware of the root causes of domestic violence and of the resources available in Fiji to seek help and support,” Prof Petterson said.

SPC also works externally to support Pacific Island countries and territories on the issue of domestic violence, through its Social Development Division. Over the past years, SPC has engaged its staff in the White Ribbon campaign, in which men take the stance of never to condone violence against women, across all offices to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

A 2013 report from FWCC identifies that in Fiji 64% of women who have ever been in an intimate relationship have experienced physical and/or sexual violence by a husband or intimate partner in their lifetime, and 24% are suffering from physical or sexual partner violence today (Somebody’s Life, Everybody’s Business, FWCC, 2013).



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Clare White SPC Communication Officer, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or +679 3249 229

Last Updated on Friday, 24 July 2015 10:34  

Newsflash

18/06/2012 - Brazil By: Makereta Komai, PACNEWS Editor in Rio de Janeiro
Source: PACNEWS

It’s been suggested that Pacific Island Countries and territories wishing to make use of resources on the deep seafloor for economic returns need to adopt a "precautionary approach".

This can simply be interpreted as "in any development where there are threats of serious harm to the marine environment, the lack of full scientific data shall not be used as a reason for postponing that development", said Dr Russell Howorth, director of SOPAC Division of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC).

But, that particular development, he added should use cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation.

The ‘precautionary approach’ has been in existence in Rio principle 15 for 20 years but hardly used in the context of bringing the economic benefits of the resources of Pacific islanders to improve their livelihoods, said Dr Howorth while addressing Oceans Day at the Rio +20 conference here in Rio de Janeiro.