All children have the right to be protected from abuse, violence and exploitation but for millions of children worldwide this is an everyday reality.  This violence, exploitation and abuse occurs in the homes, families, schools, workplaces and communities of children and also many more are at risk of abuse. 

Locally, this is also unfortunately a reality for many children in Fiji who are faced by regular physical, sexual and emotional abuse.  Cases of trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation of children have been proven in Fiji which is why we are committed to advocating for the protection of all children from risk and harm.

As a member of the National Coordinating Committee on Children we endeavour to ensure changes are introduced in order to protect and remove children from risk and harm are promoted across government, civil society and at the community level in Fiji.

Fiji ratified the Convention on the Rights of a Child (CRC) in 1993, which supports the country’s desire to protect children from these types of harm. Nevertheless, cases continue to exist and our work is to drive changes from communities to policy level to ensure child protection happens in reality.

We also use this work to support community-level programmes targeted at strengthening families and communities to care for their children while also ensuring change occurs at government and policy level.

This means we work with children, parents and guardians, teachers, communities and government to increase the protection of children, particularly the marginalised and most vulnerable, across the country.  We also focus on protecting children in times of disaster particularly those staying in evacuation centres.

Positive Discipline Program

Changing the way children are disciplined can have a profound effect on their self-confidence, which is the basis of our successful Positive Discipline Training programme.

The programme trains teachers and community members in 52 informal settlement communities and works with local teachers to provide them the tools on how to discipline children in a healthy, respectful and positive way, without the use of violence or other negative forms of punishment, that threaten, demean, or disrespect the rights of a child.

Teachers that have implemented the learning tools within their classrooms have witnessed improved behaviour of children and evaluation shows that many have also changed their behaviour in the home after understanding the benefits of this style of discipline.

“The children are not like before, before they are misbehaving and they all like that and now in the centre they are behaving and it’s ok” – kindergarten teacher, Labasa.