14 Aug 2008

Fiji Women Crisis Centre says begging for many only option as poverty worsens

6:04 pm on 14 August 2008

Fiji's Women Crisis Centre says begging is the only option to survive for many families as poverty and unemployment in Fiji are on the rise.

This comes amid a plan by the interim Social Welfare ministry to make it a criminal offence to give cash to children begging on the streets.

Under the current legislation, police and social welfare agencies can charge begging families with exploiting and neglecting their children.

But the Women Crisis Centre's, Shamima Ali, says introducing such a law would be wrong.

"It seems that the interim regime has nothing better to do than passing such inane and unkind and cruel laws, because we have a situation of increasing poverty in this country, families are out on the streets, trying to make a living, trying to survive."

And government hasn't got the money to look after these people.

Shamima Ali predicts if such a law is passed, begging will go underground and many more women and children will be forced into prostitution.