Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — More than 370 million children — or one in eight — have experienced rape or sexual assault, according to shocking figures released by UNICEF this month. But in Oceania, it’s even worse.
There, one in three women has reported suffering sexual violence before the age of 18.
Rachel Hardy, UNICEF’s Regional Child Protection Advisor for the East Asia Pacific, said the rate of abuse in Oceania was stark.
“Oceania has six million, which represents one in three women reporting sexual violence. That’s the highest rate in the world,” she said.
Sadly, for Nalini Singh, the executive director of the Fiji women’s rights movement, the shocking figures don’t come as a surprise.
“It’s unfortunate, very unfortunate the numbers are not surprising for me because it resonates in my own country,” she told Pacific Beat.
“And it’s such a shame that we see these numbers as reality across the world.”
In Fiji, there were 180 cases of rape reported between January and August last year.
Young girls made up 66 per cent of rape victims that reached the Fiji High Courts for that period. Ms Singh said the youngest victim was two years old.
“Where are we going wrong? That’s the question that we have been grappling with for a very long time,” she said.
“Digging deeper to see what is the root cause of this, as a country with our government, we have recognized it boils down to how conservative patriarchal our societies are.
“Where there is half the population who think they can use [and] abuse power over another half of the population in ways what we see now, violating young girls and women.”
Speaking to Sistas, Let’s Talk , more than 80 per cent of child protection professionals in the Pacific have noted an increase in various forms of violence against children since COVID-19.
Factors contributing to this include exposure to pornography, substance abuse, family breakdown, and societal norms that prioritize familial ties over child safety.
‘NORMALIZATION OF VIOLENCE’
Denge Ilave, director of Family PNG in Lae, added the “normalization of violence” was another contributing factor.
“Communities are accepting this type of violence as normal,” she told Sistas, Let’s Talk.
“There are some good parents out there who are very responsible for their kids. We also have parents who are not responsible for their children as well. And that poses a huge risk to our children.”
Many communities still view violence against children as a private or family matter, leading to under-reporting and a lack of accountability.
“Most of the cases will get reported to the medical facilities … but there is a hesitancy to progress cases to the police and to the courts to seek justice for the case,” Ms Ilave said.
Along with grassroots change that starts in the home, she said there was a need for systemic change.
“We would need the child protection system in our country… to be strengthened so that children feel protected and also parents feel accountable in taking care of children as well,” Ms Ilave said.
“For me, it’s for our government to really take ownership in terms of strengthening the child protection system in the country.”
SEASONAL WORK TAKES TOLL ON FAMILIES
In Vanuatu, lawyer Christina Thyna has seen the impact of seasonal work on families and said neglect was another cause.
“Most of them are facing marriage breakdown and this is affecting the children,” she said.
“The children are left with the grandparents or extended family and so some of them are no longer going to school because the parents who are overseas are not sending money to finance them.
“The grandparents or the extended family are not taking care of the kids as their own … I’ve noticed that more children are exposed to violence.”
Ms Thyna said parents must take responsibility and that there was a need for community education to help bring change.
“We provide training… especially, we are focusing on sexual offences, educating them about what the law says so that they become aware,” she said.
“I believe that everything starts in the home… If parents are becoming responsible in educating their children… that will make this world a better place.”
For Help:
American Samoa Alliance Against Domestic and Sexual Violence Phone (684) 699-0272
Free and confidential help is available 24 hours a day at National Domestic Violence Hotline
1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or TTY 1-800-787-3224.
(Source: ABC Net.Au)
Oceania has ‘the highest rate of child sexual abuse in the world’ | American Samoa