Forum eyes family issues

By JACKLYN SIRIAS
THE Department of Community Development and Religion will host separate forums  for men, women and children next month to speak about issues affecting them, says Secretary Anna Solomon.
She said that over the years, the department had been focused on addressing gender-based violence and related issues concerning women and children.
“This time we want to do a family approach as not everyone faces the same kind of issues in their lives,” Solomon said.
“Sometimes gender-based violence is the major hindrance in the informal sector so in the department we are looking more on family approach.”
Solomon said they wanted to start the approach of stop talking about women alone, or children or youths alone.
“Let us not talk women too much, or youth and children too much, let us start talking family because in the informal economy, it really helps families regardless of who participates in the economy. But family is the one that provides food for the household.”
Solomon said the women’s forum would be hosted from Oct 4 to 6 which would also be a lead-up workshop to prepare women entrepreneurs from the 22 provinces in the country to participate in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) forum next year.
“From October 10 to 11, we will be hosting the first national men’s forum in Port Moresby.”
Solomon said the forum would be to discuss and advocate a way forward for issues affecting men, but it would also be inclusive of women and children as well and it could become a family commentary for all.
“This men’s forum is basically to identify and discuss men’s role in addressing gender-based violence with its related issues that have impact on all sectors.”
Solomon said the forum would provide an avenue for men to also speak about the challenges they faced in the society.
She said the children’s forum would fall on the national children’s day where children would discuss issues affecting them and how they see those issues should be resolved.