Church leaders need to work together to combat violence in homes, says Bishop Mafi [1]
Thursday, February 23, 2012 - 23:58. Updated on Monday, September 9, 2013 - 18:40.
Tonga's church leaders need to open their eyes and look beyond the bible in order to understand and combat a "huge problem" of gender-based violence, Bishop Paini Mafi, the Head of the Roman Catholic Church of Tonga and Niue, told a national consultation with government in Nuku'alofa on February 21.
"As leaders of our churches we ought to be at the forefront of current issues such as violence against women and children, which are affecting not only the members of our churches but also our country," he said.
Bishop Mafi, as the chairman of the Tonga National Forum of Church Leaders said, "We should not close our eyes to this huge problem before us, but we need to work together to combat the scourge of gender-based violence.
"We should not just read the bible, but read also daily newspapers and other important documents, so that we are better informed of the current issues in order to implement our roles more effectively.
In a statement, the Women’s Affairs Division, of the Ministry of Education, Women's Affairs and Culture, reported that the half-day consultation sought the views of the church leaders on the proposed legislative changes, and that It provided opportunities for church leaders to share their views and concerns on proposed changes that might challenge Christian values.
One minister suggested that the definition of ‘spouse’ should not include any "sinful" relationship outside legal marriage.
Victims of domestic violence, who have taken refuge at Tonga's Women and Children Crisis Centre, had indicated that the causes of violence against women included unequal and dominant roles of males in their homes, jealousy, possessiveness, alcohol abuse, and negative influences of in-laws and family.
Bishop Mafi commended the work that is being undertaken by the Women’s Affairs Division, and various women organizations. He assured the full support of the church leaders and their willingness to work together with government and other stakeholders in all initiatives that aim to end violence against women and children in Tonga.
The consultation was organized by the Women’s Affairs, MEWAC, Secretariat of the Taskforce of Violence Against Women, and Country Focal Officer for RRRT/SPC and supported by the Women and Children Crisis Centre and the Tonga National Centre for Women and Children.