Australian aid agencies call for an end to violence against women and children in Papua New Guinea

Sydney, Australia, 25 November 2013: To mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, Australian aid organisations are drawing attention to the plight of women in Papua New Guinea (PNG). With one of the highest rates of violence against women, urgent assistance is needed so that work can continue to address this problem.

In a statement released by ChildFund Australia, Australian National Committee for UN Women and World Vision Australia, the organisations highlight that the situation has not improved for women in PNG in recent decades.

“A report published over 30 years ago by the PNG Law Reform Commission found that two out of every three women in PNG had experienced violence,” said Nigel Spence, CEO, ChildFund Australia. “A recent study conducted by ChildFund indicates there has been no improvement in these statistics with 86% of women surveyed reporting they had been beaten during pregnancy.”

The statement encourages Australians to give what they can to programs that are working to reduce violence both in the home and in public spaces. Many of these programs are funding innovative approaches to reducing the risks women face.

“We have increased the focus of our programming in PNG to help women safely participate in public life,” said Julie McKay, Executive Director of the Australian NC for UN Women. “We identified that markets were a high risk area and have worked with authorities to improve safety. This has included increasing police presence around markets, improving lighting, and providing mobile technology for cashless transactions.”

The statement also calls for the Australian and PNG Governments to step up their activities to address this issue. The PNG Government has taken positive steps to strengthen gender violence laws through the Family Protection Bill which criminalises acts of domestic violence and is providing better services to women through initiatives like the Family Sexual Violence Units at police stations around the country.

These changes are significant in combating this issue but the statement recognises that the PNG and Australian governments will need to increase their support if they truly want to put an end to violence against women.

“The Australian Government has been a strong and reliable partner in supporting World Vision’s programs that directly address issues of violence against women,” said Tim Costello, World Vision Australia chief executive. “While these initiatives have brought some relief, there is much work yet to be done before everyone, including men, understand the role they must play in keeping women and children safe.”

It is nearly 30 years since a study by the Papua New Guinea (PNG) Law Reform Commission found that two out of every three women in PNG had experienced violence.[1] Subsequent studies have shown that the situation for women in PNG has not improved. In fact, rates of violence against women continue to rank amongst the highest in the world.

A recent study by ChildFund Australia[2] found that women are raped, killed and maimed on a shocking scale. The brutality is severe, often involving bush knives, axes, burning, spearing and even biting. It also found that women had limited options in responding to domestic violence.

While there have been some recent gains have been made – the Family Protection Bill was passed in September 2013, making domestic violence an offence under PNG law – these measures will only be effective if they are enforced and supported through community education and training programs focusing on gender equality, respect, conflict resolution, human rights and the legal system.

More needs to be done to protect women and to give them choices. The PNG Government needs to improve the support offered to women and children affected by violence and ensure law enforcement. Due to the lack of services, many women have no choice but to stay with violent men in order to feed themselves and their children. Prosecuting perpetrators is also difficult as police are reluctant to investigate instances and obtaining the documentation required by the court may be financially beyond the reach of affected women.

As a good neighbour, Australia needs to be a voice for the most vulnerable and Australians should not sit silently as women in nearby countries experience horrific violence. We are calling on all Australians to lend their voice to the plight of these women. We are asking them to give what they can to aid agencies who are addressing this problem. The ChildFund study highlighted that education programs are working and these need to be continued and expanded.

We are also urging the Australian Government to do more. A significant part of the Australian Government’s aid budget goes toward gender equality and women’s empowerment in the region. This must be maintained and increased, with more targeting of anti-violence initiatives. Increased funding could go towards efforts to ensure the PNG Government is enacting existing law. The Australian Government can lend its voice to advocacy efforts that are calling on the PNG Government to prioritise this issue.

It is clear this is an issue that needs urgent attention in order to bring lasting change at a national and local level for women and children who currently live in daily fear of violence.

Sydney, Australia, August 13, 2013: ChildFund Australia today launched a report into family and sexual violence in Papua New Guinea (PNG), revealing extreme levels of violence against women and children, and the need for programs that work with men to change prevailing social norms that allow such brutal and widespread violence to occur.

The report, Stop Violence Against Women and Children in Papua New Guinea, draws on existing research as well as ChildFund’s own field research conducted in Rigo District, Central Province and features candid interviews with women and children who have suffered severe physical assault and sexual abuse. The report also includes interviews with men who are showing leadership in their community and standing with women in the fight for change.

While there is no official data on violence against women and children in PNG, studies indicate that violence occurs in more than two-thirds of families. Many researchers believe this is just the tip of the iceberg, a view supported by ChildFund’s research. Most women interviewed in Rigo District had experienced violence and said their children were often present when their partners were violent towards them.

Monica Richards, who manages Haus Ruth, Port Moresby’s main women’s shelter, says about 60 per cent of children who come to the refuge with their abused mothers have also been hurt. “Most [men], when they touch the women, they touch the children as well,” she says.

Alarmingly, children younger than 16 represent half the people who seek medical help after being raped. One in four is younger than 12 and one in 10 is under eight[1].

Among the key findings of ChildFund’s research:

• In PNG women are raped, killed and maimed on a shocking scale. The brutality is severe, often involving bush knives, axes, burning, spearing and even biting.
• PNG does not have enough national programs that work with men in order to change prevailing social norms that allow widespread and obvious violence.
• With limited social services available in PNG, women often feel compelled to stay with violent men as they are the breadwinners.
• Women need medical certificates to prosecute violent partners in court but cannot always afford or access them.
• Education makes a difference – information, even a simple pamphlet, can make someone realise violence against women and children is wrong and there is a law to protect them.
• Expensive and inadequate transport makes it extremely difficult for women in rural areas to access medical attention in Port Moresby. District hospitals and subdistrict health clinics are not able to provide survivors of rape with medical treatment, emergency contraception or post-exposure prophylaxis to prevent HIV. They also lack safe, confidential spaces where women can be supported.
• Women said police were often not interested in responding to violence against them and sometimes police were perpetrators of the violence.

What ChildFund is doing

ChildFund has used the findings of its research to develop a new program that will provide better support and medical care for women and children who have been assaulted, and prevent violence over the long term. This community-based program includes:

PREVENTION: Working with men to understand, challenge and change violent attitudes and behaviours. Engaging schools to teach children conflict resolution skills, open communication techniques and the importance of respecting girls and women.

EDUCATION: Increasing awareness of the medical, counselling, legal and security services available to women and children. Communicating these messages via different media (paper, radio, text message and community engagement) and by influential agents (village leaders, churches, schools).

PROTECTION: Providing a mobile health clinic to cover 19 remote rural villages that do not currently have access to medical and support services. The clinic will be staffed with two specialist nurses to provide potentially life-saving medical assistance and two trained counsellors to provide support, referrals and information on survivor rights (including reporting incidents of violence and equipping them with medical certificates, if required). Services at a rural district hospital will also be improved, giving survivors of violence greater access to the specialised care they need.

Nigel Spence, CEO of ChildFund Australia, says: “This research reminds us that violence against women inevitably hurts children too. For many women, it is their children who are the driving force behind their determination to escape, as their children’s lives are also in danger.

“ChildFund is rolling out a new program in Papua New Guinea, which not only provides services to protect women and children, but will also work with men to change attitudes so that violence is seen as unacceptable. Our report shows that the attitudes and behaviours of some men have already positively shifted, so it is important that we partner with communities and strengthen local services to really bring about significant, long-term change.”

Stop violence against women and children in Papua New Guinea:

Donate to ChildFund Australia’s appeal: www.childfund.org.au/appeal/png or call 1800 023 600

Download the report here.

Share our videos here and here.

Sign our petition here.

Join in the conversation online by using the hashtag: #stopviolencePNG