Day 1: Taking the lead in the fight against violence against women

In Papua New Guinea:
• 44 per cent of women had experienced sexual violence in relationships
• 55 per cent of women had been forced into sex against their will
• 58 per cent of women had experienced physical and emotional abuse in relationships
• Of 91 female victims seeking treatment for sexual assault, 50 per cent were younger than 16, 25 per cent younger than 12, and 1 in 10 were younger than 8
• 97 per cent of patients treated for domestic violence injuries were women
• Close to 100 per cent of wives in the Highlands region were beaten by their husbands (UNIFEM, 2009)

In Papua New Guinea violence against women is severe and pervasive. The use of violence in all spheres of life has become widespread and legitimate; discrimination against women, due to gender inequality, is multiple, and compounded at the intersection of patriarchy and other sites of oppression, which subjugate women to a continuum of violence.

IWDA is working in partnership with Eastern Highlands Family Voice (EHFV) on issues of family and sexual violence, gender equity and human rights concentrating our efforts in the Eastern Highlands Province with particular strength in the districts of Goroka, Unggai-Bena and Daulo.

A core component of EHFV’s work is a cohort of volunteers who are trained to deliver human rights, gender-based, family and sexual violence awareness. By 2009, almost 1000 volunteers had been trained in a range of community development and advocacy skills. EHFV has actively networked and collaborated with other groups working in the sector to ensure that programs are responsive to the local context and harness the practical resources available to the organisation. Currently, IWDA supports EHFV in the implementation of a schools awareness and counselling program targeting grades 3 to 8. The mode of communication is through the use of puppet shows on topics affecting children, mainly sexual and family violence, personal development that includes sexual health information such as HIV & AIDS and gender equity. The capacity of school teachers is built through linking in with existing teacher in-service weeks and lesson plans developed by the project.

Through this work a new group is emerging. They call themselves the male advocacy and awareness group on violence against women. The coordinators Mr Apaya and Mr Gahe spoke with us:

So on the 25th of November 2011 more than 1000 Highlands men are expected to take a stand against violence against women in a coordinated march through Goroka town. The men – all wearing black – will post tok save around town, carrying banners that display messages advocating against violent behaviour. The march will commence in four corners of town culminating in a community meeting in the town centre which will “raise awareness with men folk of this issue.” Chiefs, community leaders representatives from the law and justice sector, the police, women’s representatives and commercial businesses such as the Bank of South Pacific and the telecommunications provider Digicel will discuss how men’s roles have changed over time and the need to support the fight against violent behavior.

In PNG shifting the focus of interventionist programs to address sexual and family violence from women to men is essential. Using a gendered approach EHFV works with men individually, in couples, and at the community level on issues of violence and actively promotes men’s responsibility for dealing with these issues whilst maintaining support to and a focus on victims who are predominantly women and children. However to date, many of the programs have been implemented by and directed at women and in the Highlands Region women do not have the political or social power to change the behaviour of men. Men are not going to relinquish this power on the basis of arguments put to them about women’s rights, especially by women.

The male awareness and advocacy group on violence against women will be supported by IWDA through their partner organisation Eastern Highlands Family Voice.

- N’Deane Helajzen, IWDA Overseas Program Manager for Papua New Guinea

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[1] UN Secretary-General, In-depth study on all forms of violence against women, United Nations General Assembly,
Report of the Secretary-General (A/61/122/Add.1), 6 July 2006. [UN Secretary-General’s report]

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The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence is an international campaign originating from the first Women’s Global Leadership Institute sponsored by the Center for Women’s Global Leadership in 1991. For each of the 16 Days from 25 November to 10 December 2011, the IWDA website will be featuring a different piece to highlight the work of our partners and explore ways that IWDA supporters can take part in the effort to end gender-based violence.

Tags: 16 Days of Activism, Papua New Guinea

This entry was posted on Friday, November 25th, 2011 under 16_Days, Front page, Papua New Guinea.