THE Special Parliamentary Committee on Gender Based Violence yesterday presented to Parliament its final report of the Inquiry into Gender Based Violence in Papua New Guinea.
The report marks the historic occasion as it was the first GBV report to ever discuss the impact of gender-based violence (GBV) in Papua New Guinea and called for action by government as an urgent priority.
The report was prepared by the Special Parliamentary Committee on GBV, which is chaired by the Member for Alotau, Charles Abel.
Abel gave a strong speech calling for immediate action on a range of critical issues identified by the committee.
The report tabled yesterday captures the Committee’s first set of findings and recommendations from their ongoing inquiry into GBV in PNG. It includes more than 70 recommendations for consideration by different government agencies.
However, the chairman only highlighted the critical and urgent recommendations that the committee wanted to focus its attention and immediate action on.
The recommendations include that the treasury urgently allocate more funding to support the implementation of the National GBV Strategy; immediate establishment of a well-staffed and well-resourced National GBV Secretariat; SARV National Action Plan to be properly funded and implemented; the Justice intuitions which are mandated to investigate , prosecute and adjudicate GBV cases; government to put more resources into offering counselling services across the country; proposed to the government to reserve seats for women in the National Parliament .
Deputy committee chair and governor for East Sepik, Allan Bird spoke during a press conference held after the Parliament session has called on all government departments to read the report and make serious efforts to implement the improvements recommended.
He said as an immediate step, the next National budget must allocate more funding towards implementing the National GBV Strategy which has not received almost no funding at all to date.
“We understand that the Department for Community Development has made a five-year budget submission under the Public Investment Programme this year.
“We call on the treasurer to find money for this budget request so that we can start funding proper GBV prevention and crisis response services across the country,” he said.
The key government departments which play a vital role in the GBV space including PNG Royal Constabulary , the Department of Justice and Attorney General, the Magistrate Services and the National Courts, and the National Department of Health.
Governor for NCD, Powes Parkop who is one of the seven members of the committee drew attention to some of the most immediate priorities of the report highlighting “law enforcement” starting with the Police as one of the areas which received considerable criticism during the inquiry.
Governor Parkop said that the Police simply aren’t investigating cases properly or promptly and with the limited resources they have and culture our people are reluctant to corporate with the Police.
“GBV has become an invisible Pandemic in our country. The prosecutors equally do not have the time, resources and support they need to develop proper case files and run effective prosecutions.
“The court system, from the village courts to the district courts and to the national courts appear to be lacking expertise and resources to carry our timely survivor –based adjudication of GBV cases,” Parkop said.
He also added that the process has led to a culture of impunity, with perpetrators confident they will never be brought to Justice and that must end.
In addition to focusing attention on the role of key government departments in addressing GBV, the committee reports also called on fellow members of Parliament (MPs) to take more action, as leaders of their communities at the provincial and local levels.
The report was based on the findings of the Committee’s ongoing inquiry process including the public hearing on the 24th and the 25th of May at the Apec Haus in Port Moresby and 36 written submissions from individuals, interested groups, government departments, private sectors agencies and from community based organisations.
The Committee has flagged their intension to hold another set of public hearings prior to the November 2021 budget session which will be used to examine progress implementing.