Permanent GBV committee mooted

The National Main Stories

A COMMITTEE set up by Parliament to look into gender-based violence (GVB) has recommended that a permanent GBV committee be established.
It was one of the 71 recommendations in the committee’s report tabled in Parliament yesterday by its chairman and East Sepik Governor Allan Bird.
Bird said unless a GBV committee was set up, “we run the risk of encouraging this behaviour”.
The four major recommendations of the 71 listed in the report are:

  • TO establish a permanent GBV committee;
  • FOR the national GBV secretariat to have staff and funding allocated, to be supported by the Personnel Management Department;
  • FOR more action in provinces where governors support their provincial GBV secretariats; and,
  • FOR improved access to justice through the Government’s continued support and strengthening of the referral pathways available to victims/survivors.

“We hope this will provide guidance to the officials across the country who have responsibilities for addressing GBV and sorcery accusation-related violence (Sarv),” he said.
He urged MPs to support the national GBV secretariat in efforts to reduce violence.
“The report contains practical ideas about how to go about enforcing or implementing these recommendations, so that we can make our country safe again for our women, men and children,” he said.
He thanked the United Nations and European Union for their support.
The key themes of the other recommendations are based on leadership, taking more ownership, more coordination, funding and prevention and education or awareness.