SOLOMON Islands has joined the rest of the world to celebrate the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign starting on Tuesday.
The campaign is a global campaign dedicated to ending gender-based violence.
It runs each year from November 25: International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women, to December 10: Human Rights Day.
This year’s campaign is geared towards raising awareness on the recently passed Family Protection Act (FPA) 2014 under the theme: ‘Hapi Famili, Hapi Kandere: Endim Vaelens insaed lo Hom’.
The FPA aims to address the issue of Domestic Violence – a prevalent form of gender based violence.
The Act was developed because the government of Solomon Islands saw that violence against women is a very big problem in the country.
As part of the celebrating the event, a march parade was conducted yesterday from Multipurpose Hall all the way to Art Gallery where the official opening was staged yesterday evening.
The evening program also featured a candle light ceremony to remember the victims of domestic violence.
Julieanne Wickham, Eliminating Violence Against Women (EVAW) policy coordinator in the Ministry of Women, Youths and Children Affairs, said the key messages for the campaign are protection, safety, responsibility and communication.
Ms Wickham said protection by the Act covers all citizens of the Solomon Islands and ensures the safety of those in domestic relationships.
She said it is the responsibility of all to end domestic violence and the Act demands that people in domestic relationships communicate and resolve conflicts in a non-violent manner.
World Health Organisation and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) are major partners with the government in this course to end domestic violence in the country.
