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Suva, Fiji — The Fiji Council of Social Services (FCOSS) has blamed “culture” and “patriarchal practices” for the country’s slow response to human trafficking.
The NGO called for action, including addressing “cultural norms”.
this 2023 Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP) by State It ranks Fiji as a Tier 2 country, alongside more than 100 countries including New Zealand, the Federated States of Micronesia and Palau.
Fiji received this ranking for the third consecutive year, which means it “does not fully meet the (U.S. Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000) minimum standards to eliminate trafficking in persons.”
The report highlighted the inadequacy of Fiji’s current legislation.
FCOSS executive director Vani Catanasiga told New Zealand’s Pacific Radio that there were a number of factors that contributed to the high level of human trafficking in Fiji, including a lack of understanding by the government, entrenched patriarchal values and weak legislation.
“We realize there is some legislation in place, but it’s been slow to be implemented,” Catanasiga said.
“To us, this demonstrates a lack of awareness on the part of the government about the magnitude of the problem of human trafficking … and that the government does not fully understand the extent of human trafficking.”
Catanasiga said human trafficking and drug trafficking are mutually reinforcing, but the government’s resources in combating drug trafficking are uneven.
According to data from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime report in October 2023, About 0.6% of Fiji’s population Experienced “serious” incidents of human trafficking.
“While this number appears low, without knowing the key indicators of human trafficking cases, victims or the public may not report them to authorities for investigation,” said Elia Green, a researcher at the Australian Institute of International Affairs. Wrote in April.
She added: “The analysis must also carefully take into account the taboo in Fijian culture against speaking negatively about older people, which often leads to victim blaming, a prevalent problem among young people in Fiji.”
Last year, the Fijian Government allocated 10,000 Fijian dollars (7500 New Zealand dollars) to fund the establishment of a human trafficking investigation team, which consists of two dedicated officers and works in partnership with the Immigration Department.
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Biman Prasad told New Zealand’s Pacific Radio two months ago that the previous Fiji First Government had neglected its promise to fund the force.
He said at the time that the 2024-2025 budget would be released in July and that more money would be provided to the department.
However, the government reportedly did not allocate a single penny to the department in the new financial year. Budget Supplementary Documents.
“What we say is not taken seriously”
While Catanasiga tries to manage her expectations of slow progress, she said there is still a sense of urgency that needs to be addressed.
“While I sympathize with leaders who have only been in office for two years, I sympathize even more with the communities that deal with these issues every day.”
She also criticized leaders who ignored the findings of the 2023 TIP USA report.
“It’s not surprising because some reports are simply not read. A lot of what we say is not taken seriously. There is a trend of misinformation and lack of knowledge … We continue to see a trend of abuse and exploitation in the community.”
Catanasiga believes traditional attitudes fuel human trafficking and are used to “hide the problem”.
“Sometimes cultural norms can be a challenge to eliminating human trafficking. In our culture, so-called traditions are actually just harmful patriarchal practices that are used to maintain the status quo.”
Catanasiga would like to see a more proactive and focused approach to the issue.
“I was recently in a meeting and someone told me I needed to be more respectful of others. When it comes to saving lives, we don’t shy away from that.”
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