SINGLE MOTHERS IN FIJIAN SOCIETY:
SURVIVING AGAINST THE ODDS
by Apryle Pickering

Chapter 5
Government Assistance Programs

Chapter 5

Social Welfare Services

Fiji Women's Crisis Center

Social Welfare Services

The Social Welfare office in Vaileka performs numerous duties to the community, distributing assistance money, supplying applications for institutions such as the Hart Home and providing counseling and advice to the community. During an interview with an employee of the Social Welfare office I discovered the most widely used resource is that of welfare assistance money. This allows members of the community to fill out an application, and based on their income and number of children they are given a set amount of money every month to help with the increased cost of living today. All of the women in the Hart Home are required to be on this assistance program from the government, and without this extra money they would not be able to survive and raise their children on their own. The unemployment rate in Fiji today is high; there are few jobs to offer people. For many the only means of support must come from the government, and the people of Fiji have taken advantage of this resource.

Counseling programs are another of the main foci of the Social Welfare office. They provide marriage counseling for couples as well as for each individual involved in the marriage. In Fijian society, however, a stable marriage is of lesser value so reconciliation does not always work to benefit both parties. Fijians use marriage as a means of reproducing and continuing the family lines, rather than as a symbol of affection or love. They also have counseling for wives and children who have been abused as well as counseling for the men if they are willing. As the informant stated, "When this program first started men in Fijian society were not very receptive and many were unwilling to participate; however, now they are starting to become more open and attempt to change." Domestic abuse is fairly common in Fiji, and although there are outlets such as counseling where the women can get help and have somewhere to turn, often they do not use this resource out of embarrassment or fear. These counselors try to give the participants solid advice and make them understand that once a man is abusive, he will always be abusive. There is no point in removing a woman and her children from an abusive situation and counseling them if they are then later going to return to an unsafe home. There are also cases where a woman can report such abuse and the welfare office will help to take the children out of the home if need be. This can be especially useful for the widows that I have talked about in the previous chapters that choose to remarry and find themselves involved in an abusive relationship where the children are at risk. The counselors attempt to help the women that come into their sessions by making them aware of the consequences and the options that are available to them. In most cases, having someone to talk to and getting solid advice is the first step to a better life.

The Social Welfare office offers legal advice to women as well. They help them to gain custody and access to their children if they have divorced or separated as well as to help locate and prosecute those men who have failed to pay maintenance or affiliation duties. Affiliation is money for single unwed mothers, from the father or his family. This is not always successful, however. Although there may be a warrant out for the man's arrest, if he cannot be found no affiliation or maintenance money will be paid. Also if they do find him they cannot force him to pay the money if he does not have it, and even though he may be sent to jail for a brief amount of time this does not help the women in need of money. When a man cannot pay his affiliation or maintenance fees he receives a sentence of two weeks to one month in prison; this is raised with each offense. However, if a woman's child has turned one year old and she has not reported the need for maintenance then she becomes ineligible for the assistance.

The Social Welfare office can help with issues dealing with matrimonial property as well. With respect to widows, they can help to get their deceased husband's pension and to set up financial support to pay for school fees if they have children who are schooling. There are many government-funded grants and school funds that people may apply for to receive extra assistance with school tuition or materials and books as well. The Social Welfare office can also set up housing for single mothers, such as the Hart Home, which as I have previously discussed is part of a countrywide organization. These resources are entirely necessary in a country where women have so little power in society. Many times these women do not know their legal rights when it comes to their children or child support, and they need an outlet for advice.

Another resource offered at the Social Welfare office is information on abortion facilities. They have first hand information on where the procedure can be done safely as well as the special precautions that must be taken. There is an abundance of single mothers in Fiji, and it can be very helpful to have the option of whether or not to have an abortion and have access to a hospital nearby. Many times the women cannot afford this procedure, so they attempt to have it done in the village, which often risks serious infections that can result in the inability to have other children. In other cases, however, the procedure is not accepted by their family due to a specific religion, as in the case of many of the Indians in Fiji, so they have no other choice than to have the child.

Another area of expertise for the Social Welfare office is to make people aware of the various contraceptives that are available in Fiji today. This is crucial in preventing the rise in numbers of young single mothers, and with the help of the Fiji Reproductive and Family Health Association they work hard to make it possible. In Fiji today birth control is free at the health centers. They offer such birth control as pills, injections, implants and condoms; however, as many girls that I interviewed stated, the young women are reluctant to use this phenomenal resource because they are embarrassed or afraid that it may cause them to gain weight. Other times the women are just lazy and are not responsible enough to realize they are putting a child's life in jeopardy, in the the opinion of the Social Welfare officer. The women in Fiji are often not aware of the choices they have when it comes to premarital sex, whether it be the use of birth control, abstinence or the option of an abortion after pregnancy has occurred. They need more information. The topic of sex education is not emphasized in the school system either. Due to the fact that Fijian society is extremely religious, the involvement of sex education is looked down upon by the elders who believe that it encourages sexual relations when in fact it may be preventing them. With the integration of sex education into the school curriculum the students would be aware of the danger in sexually transmitted diseases, as well as the options they have for birth control and unplanned pregnancy. The Social Welfare office helps to make all this possible and is crucial in the development of women's roles in Fijian society.

Fiji Women's Crisis Center

The last outlet that I will discuss for women in abusive situations or in need of counseling is the Fiji Women's Crisis Center. This organization became operational in 1984 and is still continuing to help women today. It was initially created in the larger cities as a response to the high incidence of sexual assault in Fijian society and the lack of support services for women; however, it has spread throughout the country to address broader issues as well. Several of the single mothers that I came in contact with while doing my research were victims of sexual assault, and even after they had their children they were able to use these services. The Fiji Women Crisis Center now provides the following services: free counseling, legal advice, accompaniment to court, police stations and hospitals as well as emotional support and options for clients to be able to make choices for themselves. They have a 24-hour phone service and often participate in workshops, giving talks and seminars on violence against women. This type of assistance is crucial for women to work out their frustrations and attempt to get their lives back on track.

Women in Fijian society, especially single mothers, have limited resources and forms of assistance. They are able to use the office of Social Welfare for counseling, legal advice and information as well as other organizations such as the Fiji Crisis center; however, these are minimal sources of information. The Social Welfare officers believe that the young people in Fiji today are unaware of the consequences of teenage pregnancy and fail to learn about prevention. The legal system needs to create stronger laws against the fathers of the illegitimate children and force them to pay for their actions. Single mothers are expected to raise children on their own and do this with minimal support from their families and government. This is slowly changing, and one hopes there will be tremendous improvements in the near future.

On to Conclusion