Over 10 women seeking family services daily

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Reports by Jina Amba, Lulu Mark and Patricia Keamo
People that gathered at the Sea Park Bazaar yesterday morning dancing to a song the walk. – Nationalpics by KENNEDY BANI

CHILD maintenance, custody battles and gender-based violence are the three common issues with increasing statistics in the nation’s capital, says manager of the NCD child and family services Otto Trur.
About 10-15 women seek assistance daily at the family services office and an average of 50-60 cases recorded every week.
Trur said they dealt with women who sought assistance after being separated from their partners as well as those seeking protection orders against their violent partners.
“The common assistance they seek is to get child maintenance (from their partner) for their daily sustenance for their children and for themselves,” he said.
“That’s the figure that’s higher than the rest.”
The second most common cases they dealt with on a daily basis were issues affecting child custody when couples separated.
Trur said the figures for the cases of child custody and maintenance were increasing not just in NCD but across the country.
“Most cases are filed by young women aged between 19 and 30, some cases are of women in their late 30s to 40,” he said.
“The cause of these issues is because they didn’t choose the right partner or some cases are unplanned especially young people who are not married yet but end up having kids.”
With cases of women and children who were displaced or seeking refuge from a violent partner, Trur said the organisation and their partners work to find a safe house to cater for them.
“In cases where a mother and a child has been chased out of the house, we are the ones who communicate with our partners and refer them to safe houses,” he said.
“Some of the major partners that we work with are city mission safe house, social works department and the family and sexual violence unit.”
Apart from these cases, the child and family services also assist minor sexual cases and children who were physically abused.
“We normally assist and provide protection for children who were physically assaulted and for sexual assault, we do assist but in most times we refer them to the family and sexual violence unit,” he said.
In assisting families who were affected by these issues, Trur said laws such as the Family Protection Act and the Lukautim Pikinini Act were effective in the assistance they provide.


Governor to highlight women’s seat in meet

THE agenda to push for women’s seat in parliament will be brought up in the first national summit on gender-based violence (GBV), says NCD governor Powes Parkop.
Parkop said GBV continued to spread and intensify due to the lack of equality and respect on women in the societies.
He said this was a fundamental problem in the country with ties to cultural and societal norms and unless serious actions were taken, GBV would not be reduced.
“GBV continues because there’s lack of equality, men are not respecting women and girls, boys are not respecting women and girls because they see them as inferior or having lesser rights,” said Parkop.
The issue of equality between man and women has roots going back to the cultural aspect given that the country’s history of having a patrilineal society where women are seen as inferior and men seen as superior.
“We need to tackle the elephant in the house, this cultural problem, our constitution is very clear on what should be the way forward,” said Parkop.
Former member of parliament Dame Carol Kidu said the idea of having women in parliament was not new, it was done on several occasions in the political history of the country.
Dame Carol said many women have fought for this in the past and the agenda for reserved seat could happen but that shouldn’t hold back women from contesting for the open seats.
“There is a danger that we have to overcome, make sure we back the women getting there and if it’s by reserved mechanism we must back them up and make sure they can perform in a way that they can win in a normal way,” she said.
“Bougainville we know now that twice including this latest election, one woman has won outside of the reserved seats and I keep encouraging the Motu Koita women to stand for normal council seats as well as the special women’s seats.”


Coalition aims to establish a GBV office

THE Parliamentary Coalition on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) will be submitting a proposal to the Government to adopt a similar structure as the National AIDS council secretariat for GBV, says co-chairman and NCD governor Powes Parkop.
Parkop said this was one of the goals the coalition aimed to achieve during the first national summit to end gender-based violence that starts today.
He said the structure of the AIDS council secretariat had proven successful so the coalition is pushing for the Government to adopt a similar strategy in fighting against gender based violence in the country.
“The national strategy (to prevent and respond to GBV) was adopted by NEC in 2016 and since then there has not been any allocation of funds or capacity building,” he said.
“Especially a national secretariat to help all of us at the national level and provincial level to take action especially coming up with a response plan and starting real time action to actually address violence generally but GBV in particular.”
Parkop said with the AIDS council secretariat, after the government set up the national council, provincial and district level councils were also established which proved effective in responding to the HIV epidemic.
With the coalition pushing for the adoption of a similar strategy for GBV, this will see the members of the coalition establish response plans for GBV in their provinces, districts and at the local level to counter the increasing statistics.
“There is no provincial or district response plan, up to now only NCD, Morobe, ENB and Milne Bay has a response plan for GBV,” he said.


Summit aims to create dialogue

PAPUA New Guinea’s first national summit on gender based violence (GBV) aims to create dialogue between the parliamentarians and those that work in the GBV space to develop resolutions that can be added to the national GBV strategy, official says.
National Capital District Governor and co-chair of the parliamentary coalition on GBV Powes Parkop said this when briefing the media on Friday about the summit which commenced yesterday and will end tomorrow under the theme “now is the time: united for equality”.
Parkop said when the voluntary coalition comprising mainly of Governors and a couple of MPs was formed after the first high level leaders’ conference on GBV in August, the 20 MPs have made a commitment to amplify the efforts to address this very serious human rights and development issue in the country.
He said with such leadership people can be organised and resources allocated at the provincial and district level to establish a GBV response plan and get it going.
“One of the things that we resolved, is to have a follow up meeting, a national summit, so that we keep the agenda in the public domain,” he said.
“(This will) help us to as a country at all levels (national, provincial, district) to take action against GBV and also violence generally.
He acknowledged the United Nations and all its agencies that were fully supporting this initiative and the coalition through the Spotlight Initiative.
“The coalition is not put together by a resolution of the parliament – that’s another process.”


Lack of equality a concern

THE space for females to express themselves is shrinking because of gender-based violence could be invisible soon if nothing is done about it, National Capital District Governor Powes Parkop says.
Parkop, who is also the co-chair of the parliamentary coalition on GBV, said women were already poorly represented in the society already and the continuous ignorance of their plights was a concern.
He said currently from the National Parliament to the provincial assemblies and local level government (LLG) was a men’s world.
He said even at the work place the ratio of men to women was much higher.
“There are some exception such as in the market place where women have space but then you see thugs (men) coming in and dominate,” he said.
“On cyber space when women and girls try to talk and express themselves men come in like vultures and attacking and reducing them.”
He said the women and girls were kept on being locked down, shut out, and squeezed out from every space in the country.
“If we don’t take up this challenge, they’ll become invisible.
“They are getting invisible, they are not talking anymore, they are shutting down and when they are shut down it’s going to be a greater disaster for our country.
“Women equally deserve all the rights and privileges of our country. See what is happening in the men only world, it’s a disaster and if you look at the history of our country 45 years on, it’s been a man only world.
“If we complain then maybe that is part of the problem.”
Parkop said women should be respected enough to be allowed their space to talk and express themselves.


We need to act, stop ignoring GBV: Parkop

Powes Parkop

THE prevalence of gender-based-violence (GBV) in Papua New Guinea has reached a level where the country cannot afford to ignore but act, National Capital District Governor Powes Parkop says.
Parkop said this when briefing the media on Friday about the PNG’s first national summit on GBV.
He said violence was rampant in the country but it was not acknowledged and serious actions were not taken against it.
“We are becoming blind and numb to violence and we are beginning to see it as normal and acceptable behaviour when it is not,” he said.
“Violence has been wrecking the life of our people, country, our economy, the potential of our nation and people.”
The cost of violence is very high in this county; and:

  • TOURISTS and investors cannot come to PNG because of the fear of violence;
  • LOCAL business people were investing overseas because investments assets such as buildings or cars could go up in flames in a matter of seconds; and,
  • MONEY spent on solving such problems in the police, court system and Correctional Institute Service (CIS) is too high.

“Ethnic, tribal and street violence cause a lot of problems for our people and economy but they are occasional events that take place and we must take all action to reduce and eliminate them but what is prevalent every day and everywhere is GBV.
“Yes, we can improve the quality of education and health and infrastructure but if we do not take on violence all these infrastructure services will amount to nothing because violence affect the quality of our lives, our potential, our dreams, the possibilities that we all have, especially women and girls of our country.
“Women and girls are subjected to all forms of violence and harassment (sexual, psychological, and physical) on the public places, buses, in the markets, shopping malls, at work place and even at the homes.
“This is why we are focusing on GBV. We can’t keep on ignoring it.
“The parliamentary coalition on GBV is pushing this because we want the nation to take action to reduce or eliminate this cancer (violence) that is destroying our country,” Parkop said.


Identify roles in society to address violence

PNG Tribal Foundation Senisim Pasin country campaign coordinator Yanamlyn Yana speaking at the Sea Park Bazaar after the “now is the time; united for equality” walk yesterday.

To change the narrative of gender-based violence in Papua New Guinea everyone should identify the roles they play in their homes and communities, PNG Tribal Foundation Senisim Pasin country campaign coordinator Yanamlyn Yana says.
The family unit is the key in changing the current narrative about gender-based violence (GBV) in Papua New Guinea.
At the GBV awareness after the ‘now is the time; united for equality’ walk yesterday, Yana began her talk by asking, where the men, fathers and boys were in this fight?
“We are a Melanesian country where men protected the women and children. Men fought in the warring fields but not women.
“Women are losing their lives to gender-based violence and sorcery accusation-related violence. We have been talking about the same issues for years.
“Where are our men who are courageous to create a city and community that is safe for all.
“I am saying this because it is not safe for women and girls in the city.
“Recently being attacked by young men, her hand in stitches and sling she asked “what are we doing about it?”
She stressed that it was important for young men to figure out their role and purpose in the community. She said the moral compass of the society was degrading and it was crucial for the fathers and mothers to be careful in the rearing of their children, raising them in such a way that strong values would be the guiding principles in life.
“It all comes down to families.
“It is the father and mother that will create a good family.
She said the aim should be to create a home and community that was safe for everyone to live in.
“We (should) start to recognise that it takes a strong family to create a strong community and a stronger country.
“The power is in our hands and not in the hands of the Government or the development partners.
Yana said when half of the population (female) were not happy, “we are not going anywhere as a nation.
She said men and women working in partnership would drive the country forward.


Yuya Omori technology for development specialist from Unicef and Milka Akane U- Report consultant from Unicef, giving out information to Jackson Kiap and Nickson McManga (Blue shirt) during the youth side summit on ending gender-based violence in Port Moresby yesterday. – Nationalpic by KENNEDY BANI

Children vulnerable in gender-based violence

THE highest clients of gender-based violence who go for counselling and support at the family support centre in Port Moresby are small child, says an officer.
Linda Hay, a child counsellor from the family support centre in Port Moresby, said at the youth summit on ending gender-based violence.
She said this was her sixth year of working with family support centre and she had dealt with a lot of cases.
“Talking about gender-based violence, the highest client that we see in the family support centre are children. And it’s very sad. The youngest that we see is one month old baby to adults and that’s the case we have.”
Hay said this summit would help them express their views and opinions of the challenges that young people were going through today. She said many a times when they refered them to authorities to make right decisions for the safety of the child, sometimes those decisions are not made in the best of a child.
“And for me as a person dealing with children. I just feel like giving up. It’s like the system is not working.
“But when I sit back and think about why am I dealing with this or why am I a youth worker?
“It gives me the hope to continue because if I am not there for them then what will happen to them, they need me, they are helpless, they are powerless and they are speechless. I have to be the voice for young people today,” Hay said.
She said from this summit, they would discuss with politicians and come up with policies that would help young people and those who were affected by violence.

3 comments

  • More awareness on GBV should be done at the community level to National level. Meaning bottom up plan cab be done. Its about time silent majority are hiding to cover up shame and get mental illness

  • God’s law says womenfolk must submit to their husbands as head of the family. Papua New Guinea society has always worked well in line with the the law of God.

    GBV happened and intensified when we introduced a foreign concept called Gender Equality.

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