WCC NEWS: Church leaders and policymakers in Fiji amplify Thursdays in Black

Policymakers and church leaders in Fiji are amplifying Thursdays in Black, already a long-held campaign in the nation but now growing its momentum even more. Pacific church leaders meet in Pago Pago, American Samoa. Photo: Rev. James Bhagwan 19 August 2025 Fiji minister for Women, Children, and Social Protection Sashi Kiran, publicly told the Fijian parliament in August that the Thursday in Black initiative calls on Fijians to stand in solidarity with survivors of rape and violence, and to send a powerful message that gender-based violence will not be tolerated in any form. “By wearing black, we amplify the voices of survivors, challenge the culture of silence, and call for a world free from violence, fear, and discrimination,” Kiran stated. “Every life lost to domestic violence is one too many, yet in Fiji, the tragedy continues to unfold in our homes.” In 2025, four women and one man in Fiji lost their lives to intimate partner violence. According to the Fiji police crime statistics for June 2025, sexual offences increased by 28 percent, with 60 percent of the victims under the age of 18 years. “Crime against children have risen by eight percent, over half involving sexual abuse, and nearly a quarter of them committed within family homes,” said Kiran. Domestic violence remains widespread, most often perpetrated by those closest to the victim, she added. “I urge every honourable member in this House, the leaders in our faith traditions, in the business sector, and our community leaders, please, speak out against gender-based violence and encourage your homes and communities to develop zero tolerance to all forms of violence,” she said. Rev. James Bhagwan, general secretary, of the Pacific Conference of Churches, said that Thursdays in Black has been active in the Pacific since the 1980s, thanks largely to the work of the YWCA, which played an important role in the formation of the women's movement, particularly in Fiji. “Today, the Pacific Conference of Churches and its member churches observe Thursdays in Black, and the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, as well as the annual observance of break the Silence Sunday, the Sunday preceding the 16 Days,” he said. Thursdays in Black See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 356 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa.  Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland