Ending violence huge task

 PAPUA New Guinea is faced with a huge task of stopping violence against women, according to the United Nations Population 

Fund.

UNFPA specialist Dr Betty Etami Koka said gender equality and empowering women was one of the millennium goals, which aimed to ensure that PNG was “violence free against woman and girls” in 2030 and beyond.

She said this during a training workshop on gender and human rights in Enga last week.

Koka told senior public servants who attended the week-long training that development partners, including all levels of governments and non government organisations, must initiate “realistic plans” in line with the nine millennium goals to advance the country.

She said although PNG was experiencing a resources boom, it would not make desirable changes if its social indicators such as gender equality, empowering women and literacy rates remained low.

“It’s interesting to see that the government is serious about addressing gender equality, particularly empowering women in its development plans. 

“What is more important is for the planners at all levels of governments and their partners to be elegant  in coming up with realistic plans to ensure that GBV (gender based violence) issues no longer exist beyond 2030,” Koka said.

She added that doing away with “stereotype mentality” against women at workplace, consumption of illegal drugs and homebrewed alcohol, promoting universal education and stopping violation of human rights were among major issues that development partners must critically look at to promote the government’s Vision 2050 plan.

Koka said it was important for the country to promote an environment where both men and women worked together to achieve real improvement in the overall well-being of the country.

“The old mentality that the women’s job is in the kitchen must change,” she said.