FWRM PR: FWRM Launches National Campaign Calling for Mandatory Comprehensive Sexuality Education to End Child Marriage in Fiji 13/02/2026

13/02/2026

FWRM Launches National Campaign Calling for Mandatory Comprehensive Sexuality Education to End Child Marriage in Fiji

The Fiji Women’s Rights Movement (FWRM) today launches a powerful animated video campaign highlighting the lived realities of girls affected by early and forced marriage, calling for the mandatory inclusion of Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) in all Fiji schools.

The campaign comes in response to alarming national data. The 2021 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) by the Fiji Bureau of Statistics reveals that 9% of women aged 20–29 were married before the age of 18. The situation is even more concerning in the Northern Division, where 12% of women aged 20–49 were married before turning 18, reflecting persistent inequalities in access to education, protection, and opportunity.

Developed from FWRM’s 2023 scoping study and national consultations with women, community groups, and key stakeholders, the animated video uses storytelling to highlight the drivers and consequences of child marriage in Fiji.

The research identifies unintended teenage pregnancy as a key driver of early and forced marriage, exposing girls to heightened risks of sexual violence, pregnancy-related complications, poor maternal and newborn health outcomes, school dropout, and long-term economic hardship.

Child marriage is not only a private family matter - it is a public health, education, and human rights issue. Girls who marry early are more likely to leave school, face lifelong poverty, and have limited access to decent employment opportunities.

“Comprehensive Sexuality Education is not an add-on. It is essential to inclusive, equitable, and rights-based education,” said FWRM Executive Director Nalini Singh.

“Evidence-based, age-appropriate CSE equips young people, especially girls with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to make informed decisions about their bodies, relationships, and futures. It is one of the most effective tools we have to prevent unintended teenage pregnancy and child marriage.”

Through extensive consultations on the MICS data, FWRM has built broad stakeholder support to strengthen advocacy materials that assist service providers, policymakers, legislators, and community leaders in addressing this issue.

As global attention turns to gender equality at CSW70, with a priority focus on access to justice, FWRM calls on the Fiji Government to:

• Explicitly mandate age-appropriate, rights-based CSE in the national education curriculum
• Include clear provisions on CSE in the draft Education Bill
• Ensure teachers are trained and resourced to deliver accurate, evidence-based content
• Strengthen cross-sector collaboration between education, health, and child protection systems

“Girls have the right to accurate information about their bodies, their health, and their lives. Silence and stigma place them at risk. Education protects,” Ms. Singh added.

FWRM remains committed to advancing institutional reform and eliminating discriminatory practices that limit the rights, safety, and economic empowerment of women and girls across Fiji.

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For media queries contact FWRM Communications Officer Serelisoni Moceica on +679 8677330 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

* The Child Marriage Factsheet is here: https://fwrm.org.fj/images/PDFs/researchanalysis/Child_Marriage_Factsheet%201.pdf