Dept should lead in fight

IT is my view that the Department of Community Development should lead the fight against gender-based violence (GBV), and help in minimising violence in homes and on our streets.
I read a news item in your newspaper about the minister concerned making a speech regarding the death of the teen mother who died after being allegedly beaten by her partner.
I read of other speeches being made by prominent people in government too.
The people want to see real action in an effort to minimise violence in homes (as with GBV) and on our streets.
We do not want more speeches.
As a department responsible for the issues related to females and young people, I would like the Department of Community Development minister and secretary to take lead in this fight.
Put a team together to link up with other departments, such as the police and attorney-general and justice to visit the laws governing GBV and violence.
See if the current laws can be updated and new ones be enacted to better protect lives in the family and society.
Look at the police and its family and sexual offence unit, to see that these are fully functional.
If they are not functional, the team should draw up suggestions to be taken up to the National Executive Council and Prime Minister to have such agencies and units well-funded and equipped with resources and staffed with enough personnel to ensure lives are protected.
Much of what we have seen over the years have been ministers and secretaries of department just making speeches.
We want the Department of Community Development to be proactive.
Do something to end this cycle of violence that we have witnessed time and again where young people, particularly females, have become victims in relationships.
Some of those cases are still before the court, while others have reached a brick wall and a few just fell through the cracks in our legal system.
Such lost cases should be revisited and pursued so that the victims and their families can be assured that we have justice in PNG where perpetrators are prosecuted, put on trial, convicted and penalised.
And that be done vehemently.
It is only when such things happen that we will see justice served and that should cause men and women who turn violent in domestic arguments to consider approaching such issues in a better way where lives are not threatened in any way.
We do not want more speeches following a GBV case where a life is lost.
We want action from the Department of Community Development.
And we want it now.

All violence is wrong