UNFPA Pacific, Fiji (March 17, 2015) - A STUDY in the prevalence of violence against women (VAW) on the North Pacific Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), an associated country of the United States of America, has revealed the gross widespread of this societal scourge which experts have labelled the ‘tip of the iceberg'.
In a time that's reportedly the most peaceful humanity has ever been, the findings ascertained sobering realities of women in RMI for example, of the women who experienced partner violence, 91 per cent did not seek help because they believed it was justified and they feared the violent repercussions of talking about it.
The study on RMI of violence against women during the lifecycle shows variations among sub-categories such as age, education and region but no category is spared: women are being abused at all levels of the Marshallese society.
The findings will be discussed by the RMI Ministry of Internal Affairs Assistant Secretary for Programme planning and Assessment, Molly Helkena during the United Nations Population Fund-organized side event on Using Data to Advance Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, at the 59th Commission of the Status of the Women (CSW) in New York. The panel will include UNFPA Deputy Executive Director Kate Gilmore and Her Royal Highness Princess Sarah Zeid of Jordon.
"Two previous studies on VAW has been completed in the RMI but neither has been able to give a complete picture as this study that UNFPA supported us in," Ms Helkena said. "For my government, what this means is a more informed and targeted approach to our responses. We will also benefit from the experiences of the other 10 countries that have done this before and have implemented recommendations."
The study was carried out by the Government of RMI and Women United Together Marshall Islands (WUTMI, a Non-Government Organization specialized in women's rights) with funding from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and technical support from UNFPA.
RMI is one of the five countries supported by the UNFPA Pacific Sub-Regional Office (PSRO); funding and technical support was also provided for Nauru, Cook Islands, Palau and the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) - the latter two are also associated countries of the USA.
Recommendations from the RMI study encourage increased partnership between the traditional leaders of the atoll communities and the relevant state departments: targeted approaches include the construction of safe homes in outer island communities to structural adjustments like reporting mechanisms.
Comparative statistics from Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Vanuatu, Samoa and Tonga show high levels of violence against women, with between 40 and 70 per cent of the female population reporting lifetime physical or sexual violence by a partner. Emotional violence ranks second in Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Vanuatu and the Marshall Islands: between 48 and 68 per cent of the female population reported the abuse. Several other countries have higher rates of violence than the Marshall Islands.
