A Family and Sexual Violence forum was held at the Lae International Hotel yesterday.
Facilitated by the Business Coalition for Women, the one-day program brought together member companies and government representatives who discussed referral pathways and services that are available for survivors.
The FSV forum aimed to showcase the existing referral pathways and services available to member companies of the Business Coalition for Women, as well as support the outcomes of the 2020 gender-based violence summit.
Panelists at the discussion included Lae MP, John Rosso, and BSP CEO, Robin Fleming.
Fleming opened discussions by outlining the steps BSP has taken to raise awareness on GBV and FSV, which includes observing Black Thursday.
“In the old days, the support of family sexual violence may well be getting the security guards to go and bash up the perpetrator,” he said.
“Now, we do have to take a few steps farther. We have to ensure we can understand the underlying issues, simply, like Thursday, an example of how we can show visibly that support for those who suffer.”
Fleming said they support Bel isi PNG, an organisation that offers employees case management and safe house services. He stated that Bel isi has enabled those in the most severe forms of family sexual violence to have access to a safe house.
Lae MP and Lands Minister, Rosso, outlined a positive increase in Parliamentarians’ support of the GBV campaign. He further expressed concern that ordinary citizens are not fully aware of who or where to go when they need help.
“I would say, like everything else, making laws and having laws, you also need to enforce laws,” said the Minister. “We can make all the laws in the world but if we don’t enforce them, what happens? Nothing happens.”
Minister Rosso said awareness is vital in the enforcement of laws; the public must know which path to take to access the services that they need.
“I can tell you right now, 90 percent of those people on the street do not really know which pathway to follow to get justice and make certain there is enforcement.
“We can talk all we want in this room, we can talk all we want in Parliament but unless the ordinary Joe on the street knows where the pathway is, then they can assimilate to moving from that pathway and lay a complaint.”
He stressed on the need for partnership to effectively raise awareness and also empower survivors.