The various laws relating to family violence and child abuse, divorce and maintenance are now made available in an easy-to-understand brochures.
The launch today by the Fiji Women’s Rights Movement and the Family Court of Fiji hopes to give marginalised women a better understanding of how the Family Law Act applies to them.
Fiji Women’s Rights Movement Executive Director Tara Chetty says these brochures will empower women often left in highly vulnerable situations.
Also included in the brochures are new amendments to the Family Law Act.
“These newly published brochures all up-dates and amendments to the Family Law Act one of the major amendments in recent times has been that of defacto relationships are now recognised.The children of defacto relationships were always recognised but up until recently defacto partnerships themselves, were not recognised under the law and therefore could not apply for example for spousal maintenance, but now that defacto relationships are recognised that information is all included with these brochures,” said Tara Chetty, coordinator of the Fiji Women’s Rights Movement.
Chief Justice and Head of the Judiciary Anthony Gates says these brochures will empower women to seek proper redress through the Courts.
“What I think women want from the services is balance, fair chance to articulate their claims and to be heard patiently and without prejudice, so if I may say so, we must keep remembering it is about
families,” said Chief Justice, Anthony Gates.