INCEST, domestic violence and sexual abuse are a growing concern for many South Pacific nations. Pressure is on governments to come up with policies that tackle the problems rather than brush them under the carpet.
In Fiji, non-government organisations have stepped up campaigns to press the Government into facing up to the issues with a general election looming in May 1999.
But an attempt by the Fiji Women's Rights Movement (FWRM), National Council for Women (NCW) and Women's Action for Change (WAC) with a national plan for women failed to persuade the cabinet to adopt "people-centered" policies in the F$1 billion budget in November which would address these issues.
Pointing out that women were playing an increasingly important role in Fiji's national economy and constituted half of the country's human resources, a submission by the NGOs argued that their "low wages are inadequate for a decent, healthy living".
But the submission also stressed that the economic hardships were a major contributing factor in the rise in physical and sexual abuse in the community and family homes.
"Sexual abuse and violence against women and children is on the rise and there seems to be no ample resources allocated for programmes that will cater for women in such situations," says FWRM campaigner Raijieli Nicole.
"Such inadequacies raise the need for financial support to develop legislative provisions and safeguards for these women.
"There is also the need for resources to educate and equip the police force in combatting crimes of this sort with better understanding of the situation of sexually and violently abused women and children."
When the Rabuka Government allocated nothing to the national plan for women, FWRC coordinator Gina Houng Lee bitterly compared this with $3 million be granted to a "micro-enterprise development" programme.
Ironically, Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka had just the previous month launched the national women plan.
Ms Houng Lee said in the national news media the movement had earmarked several plans which would help women who were victims of violence or sexual assault.
"The Government needs to have the political will to understand or take into account how women are disadvantaged," she says.
"What is required is the political will to ensure fairness and equity for all."
Ms Houng Lee says sexual assault and domestic violence is a serious and increasing problem.
She hopes that increasing funding for the Fiji police will be reflected in the "eradication" of sexual and domestic violence against women.
In French Polynesia, incest and rape is also rising, according a report in the November edition of Tahiti-Pacifique, although hard statistics are difficult to obtain.
A children's court judge, Marie-France Luneau, was quoted as saying: "Out of some 2000 cases concerning children at risk which came through my office during 1995, at least a third were victims of incest - at least 650 cases."
According to Papeete child psychologist Philippe Nadaud: "This is merely the tip of the iceberg."
In his Tahiti-Pacifique article, French University of the Pacific academic Bruno Saura says it is difficult to sift through comparative figures for cases of incest and sexual violence.
He cites a recent study in Australia which surveyed 710 women polled at random from the electoral rolls which revealed "alarming figures". Compared with this survey, he says, the situation in Tahiti doesn't seem exceptional.
According to the Australian survey, 35 per cent of the women had suffered an "unwanted sexual experience" before the age of 16 - and only 10 per cent of the incidents had been reported to police.
Also, 35 per cent of the women polled had in their childhood experienced an "indecent act" such as indecent exposure.
In any case, asks Saura, should Tahiti be compared with France, or its neighbours in the Pacific?
He says it appears that incest should be separated from rape because the majority of incest cases forbidden sexual relations between brother and sister, for example.
Instead, it usually involves one adult forcing himself on another, or an adult using authority to force a child.
Issues involving incest are usually integrated into a wider problem of Tahitian men involving violence, sexuality and the family.
Often cases of repeated incest happen in the home where the wife is ill, or has died, and where a daughter - perhaps several - become a sexual substitute along with the domestic chores.
David Robie is journalism coordinator at the University of the South Pacific.
