He said in order to mould the communities, everyone has to act and do something about respecting women and children.

"You have to learn your rights what they are for women and what they are not for men."

"You have to lead by example."

"You have to demand your political representatives that they tell you what they have done to solve this problem."

A report into sexual offending produced by the Solomon Islands Law Reform last year found an alarming level of sexual violence.

Pallaras said the report also looks back to the time of the tensions and says that sexual violence during those times were high with amnesty international reporting that women and girls experienced high rates of sexual violence in Guadalcanal and Malaita.

"Now I don't know what was like before the tension, and I don't know whether the tensions were the beginning of this problem, hatred and disrespect shown to women and children."

"But it is here now, it is in your families, your villages."

He made these comments when he was giving an awareness talk based on the topic on how to treat women and children in our community at an Anglican church, Saint Albans Chapel.

Pallaras was South Australia's public prosecutions Stephen before moving to the Solomon Islands to become a justice of the High Court there in 2012.

St Albans has a partnership with Buala Parish, Santa Ysabel, Solomon islands as part of the memorandum of understanding between the Anglican Dioceses of Melanesia and Canberra/ Goulburn.

Source

• Solomon Star
• Image: Catholicchurchsolomonislands

In his written submissions to the Constitution Commission, Aisea Vunibaka, a retired revenue collector, said human rights were stopping teachers from punishing students.

"Their parents, guardians and teachers could be part of the solution, however their hands are tied up by a foreign flower, human rights," he said.

"The only sure way of nurturing our young boys and girls is for the parents to be allowed to cane their children when it's needed," he submitted.

Tui Wainunu Ratu Orisi Baleitavea has also called for the reinstatement of corporal punishment.

In his submission to the Constitution Commission he said the vanua of Bua had agreed to recommend as part of their submission to reintroduce this form of disciplining children.

However Save the Children Fiji CEO Chandra Shekhar disagrees. When asked for his opinion on the matter, he said schools should get to the root of the problem rather than physically punishing students.

Source

• The Fiji Times
• The Fiji Times
• The Fiji Times
• Image: The Indian Express