Provincial strategies on violence set for launch

NATIONAL Capital District Governor Powes Parkop says provincial strategies on gender-based violence and equality will be launched and presented during the second “united for equality” summit today.
Parkop, during a pre-summit event yesterday, said PNG had only the national gender-based violence strategy in place.
And, now, the Parliamentary Committee was looking at launching the provincial strategies.
“It is a great achievement because all provinces in the country have put together a strategy,” he said.
“We only have the national strategy but, now, we will have the provincial strategies.”
Parkop said 15 strategies were completed and were awaiting validation, while three others had been finalised and pending endorsement by the provincial executive council.
“Four of the strategies have been endorsed with funding, and that will be announced.”
Parkop said this was the second summit, an annual event established through a resolution last the inaugural summit held in 2020 under the Special Parliamentary Committee on gender-based violence.
“It was postponed in 2021 and 2022 due to the Coronavirus pandemic and the national elections,” he said.
“It is our goal to have such annual dialogue or conversation because it is an important agenda.”
Hosting of the summit was being supported by the Australian High Commission, European Union and the United Nations.
“The summit is important because it is about defining the values that guide us as a people and as a nation,” Parkop said.
“Importantly, it is about giving our people, especially our women and girls, that equal opportunity.”
He said the committee was working on a resolution for 2024 to be declared a “year of equality”.