Reflections by Jo Vesikara: Male Advocate for Women’s Human Rights

30 Jul, 2025

A mother of two children from an extended village of Waiqanake called Namakala, was fully supportive in catering for the men’s workshop on Gender, Human Rights and Men’s Role in Promoting Women’s Human Rights by the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre. The one-week workshop for the men of the Suva district began on the 23rd of June and ended on Friday, 27th June.

The Coordinator for FWCC, Shamima Ali, was invited to officiate the certificate presentation, which I also attended with the two Assistant Roko from our Provincial Office. 

After the program, I noticed this mother of two, requesting Shamima for the same informative program to be conducted for women of Waiqanake. It was later agreed to be conducted in September this year. Her husband was invited to attend the workshop but declined. 

On Friday, the first week of this month, I received a phone call from a community member that Litia was brutally stabbed 3 times by someone believed to be the father of their two children, and she was in the CWM Intensive Care Unit. 

After a week in anguish, pain and emotional torment on her hospital bed, the inevitable came; she succumbed to her injuries, leaving behind two young children and a community in mourning. We were told that her immediate family from her village in Nabaitavo, Naitasiri have decided that her body be taken to her village for burial.

Her story is not just one of tragedy, but a call to action. It shines a light on the silent epidemic of domestic violence, a pervasive issue that transcends borders and cultures. Too often, victims suffer in silence, their cries unheard, their pain dismissed. This narrative serves as a reminder that behind every statistic is a life—complex and invaluable.

In the wake of this tragic loss, the community grapples with the questions that linger. How could this happen? What led to such an unimaginable act? And, most importantly, how can we prevent it from happening again?

As we reflect on her life, let us honour her memory by breaking the silence surrounding domestic violence. Let us rally together to support victims, to provide resources, and to foster an environment where love triumphs over violence. The echoes of her laughter may fade, but her story must resonate, urging us to stand against the darkness that claims too many lives.

In this fight, we are not alone. Together, we can create a future where every home is a sanctuary, and every individual is safe from harm.

Ends