Eyewitnesses report that Esther endured torture and verbal abuse after being forcibly taken from her home in Lautoka by a group of men and women. This appalling incident resulted in severe internal injuries, allegedly leading to her tragic death. IPPF ESEAOR is gravely concerned by this heinous act, a blatant violation of fundamental human rights — especially the right to life and dignity, freedom of expression, protection from discrimination, and access to fair legal processes and health services.
This underscores the critical need for enhanced protection for transgender individuals and sex workers, who are often subjected to pervasive systemic discrimination and stigma. Political and systemic structures impose multiple forms of discrimination on sex workers. These discriminatory power structures are further intensified by factors such as homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, racism, and classism.
In Fiji, transgender people, particularly transgender sex workers, face high rates of sexual and gender-based violence SGBV , physical abuse, harassment, bullying, stigma, and intimidation. Transgender women are routinely targeted by cyberbullying, with a rising trend of online hate speech. Sex workers encounter a multitude of barriers to their sexual and reproductive health and rights SRHR.
Widespread criminalisation, along with stigma and discrimination, not only infringes upon their fundamental human rights—including the right to live free from violence and the right to health—but also restricts their access to equitable sexual and reproductive health services. The safety, rights, health, and dignity of all, especially marginalised groups, must be the foremost priority, reinforcing our commitment to human rights.
The International Planned Parenthood Federation IPPF is a global healthcare provider and a leading advocate of sexual and reproductive health and rights for all. Led by a courageous and determined group of women, IPPF was founded in , and today, it is a movement of member associations and collaborative partners with a presence in over countries. We are in the midst of a pandemic, and one way to slow down the spread of coronavirus is through implementing a lockdown and quarantine measures.
