The Special Parliamentary Committee on GBV has collaborated with the Co-Chairs of the Coalition of Parliamentarians development partners to End GBV.
Chair of the Special Parliamentary Committee, Charles Abel together with NCD Governor, Powes Parkop and East Sepik Governor, Allan Bird hosted a meeting with development partners to discuss the Report on GBV tabled recently in Parliament, and to discuss next steps for making sure that Parliamentarians continue to advocate for gender equality and an end to gender-based violence.
Mr Abel said: “Our Committee has provided concrete recommendations in the GBV Report we tabled in Parliament and we need to see action. We have letters to the Treasurer calling on him to provide proper budget funding for the National GBV Strategy.
“We want to see more funding going towards NGOs because we know they are doing so much of the frontline GBV crisis response work that survivors need.”
He further stated: “I believe our advocacy is already making a difference. We have been pleased to read in the newspapers that the courts are handing down some tough sentences on GBV and SARV perpetrators recently. We are glad about that. Perpetrators of violence cannot keep getting away with these bad acts.”
The MPs expressed their appreciation to development partners for joining them to discuss the Committee Report on GBV and opportunities for partnership.
Governor Bird thanked partners for joining with them and that now was the perfect time for development partners to strengthen their support for homegrown GBV efforts.
He said: “I can see there has been a real shift among current group of MPs regarding issues of GBV and violence against women and children. More MPs have taken this issue up and want to use their power to make a difference.”
He said: “It is critical that we get support to move forward as we only have nine months left of this term. We need to urgently institutionalize this work, including through establishment of the Parliamentary GBV Committee as a permanent body, so this work can continue to tap into MPs even after the next elections.”
The MPs brought with them a funding proposal, requesting support from donors to enable MPs to work together nationally and in their home provinces to address GBV.
Funding would be used to support the GBV Committee, but also the Coalition of MPs to End GBV and to support key GBV activities driven by MPs, including another National GBV Summit.
Governor Parkop stressed the need to create mechanisms and structures so that the work of the GBV Committee and the Coalition can continue.
“We need to sustain this programme within our time and beyond our time in Parliament. This is the number one priority. We need provincial strategies for sustainability.”
He also outlined the committee’s intention to relook at and review the current GBV Strategy for gaps in the system.
Governor Parkop said: “It is time for everyone to come together and work to achieve our Constitutional vision of a nation where men and women, boys and girls, stand together, to end gender-inequality and violence.”
Development partners commended the MPs for their efforts in highlighting the important work done in the last few months to produce a set of recommendations for consideration by Government. The Report can act as a blueprint for action, and can also help guide partners own efforts.
The Committee and Coalition extended their appreciation to the United Nations Development Programme, which has provided technical support to the Coalition and Committee as part of its gender programming and the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative.