PORT MORESBY 21 April 2022: The Deputy Chair of the Special Parliamentary Committee on Gender-Based Violence, Governor Allan Bird, tabled the final Report of the Committee on 21 April 2022 in Parliament House, following Question Time.
The Committee was set up in 2020 and has seven members, including Chairman Hon Charles Abel (Alotau MP), Deputy Chairman, Hon Allan Bird (Governor East Sepik), Hon Powes Parkop (Governor NCD), Hon Michael Dua (Governor Chimbu), Hon Aiye Tambua (Goroka MP), Hon Ginson Saonu (Governor Morobe) and Hon Allan Marat (Rabaul MP).
Following the tabling of the Report, the Statement by the Deputy Chair, as well as the Report and its annexes were published on the Special Parliamentary Committee’s webpage at https://www.unitedforequalitypng.com/gbv-parl-committee and can be downloaded from there.
This Report captured the most recent testimony given to the Committee and updated the recommendations in their August 2021 report. The two reports should be read together. The first Report contained considerable data and explanatory information which was not repeated in the Final Report. Updated information was included where it was provided by officials and recommendations were modified as needed to take account of the current situation. Some new recommendations were also added and the Report notes where recommendations have been actioned.
The Committee recognised that this Report contained a large number of recommendations but noted that submissions received at the public hearings and in writing reinforce the reality that addressing GBV is a complex undertaking, requiring a multi-partner, multi-sectoral response. The Committee’s recommendations are therefore directed at a range of different actors, who must all be resourced and capacitated to do their jobs properly.
The Committee members extended their thanks to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which provided technical support to the Special Parliamentary Committee on GBV as part of its gender programming and the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative. This support aims to address GBV and support longer-term efforts to promote women’s participation and leadership in the Parliament.
- ENDS