The Minister for Women in Kiribati says she is worried a bill aiming to stop domestic violence is being unfairly blamed as contributing to a spate of violent attacks against women.
Five women have been violently killed in the past six months, all allegedly by their partner or former partner.
The ministry recently introduced the Family Peace Bill, which recognises that domestic violence, in all its forms, is unacceptable behaviour and a crime.
The minister, Tangariki Reete, says she is very concerned by the recent violence and says the bill's aims appears to have been misunderstood by some.
"What I heard from people - the bill is something that has made a barrier between a wife and husband and we are working on that, at the ministry, to do an awareness programme to tell people that the bill does not support women only. The bill is for men and the family as a whole."
Tangariki Reete says the ministry is doing all it can to stop domestic violence but it cannot be blamed for the actions of the individual.
