The Morobe Provincial Administration was a part of the Hearing during the Permanent Parliamentary Committee on Gender Equality, Women Empowerment and Gender Based Violence.
On the third day of Hearing, the GEWE and GBV Committee used the to engage with Sub-national governments in the country as well for the committee to have an idea on where the provincial administrations are putting their efforts into in addressing GBV and Social Related Violence.
Morobe’s Deputy Provincial Administrator, Robin Bazzinuc, stated that in 2015-17 a roll- out the Strategic plan with five pillars was made;
- Strengthening legal support and enforce response to FSV in the province
- Greater prevention activities and community awareness for FSV
- Prompt and effective medical service are provided to the survivors
- Services are provided and support services for survivors
- Strengthening coordination and management of the information and leadership in the province
“We have an effective network and all sectors not just CSO and NGO partners but also the national functions in magisterial services. We meet together and discuss ways forward.” Stated Bazzunic.
Officer in charge of the MPA GBV Desk, Thelma Hungito, added onto the work of the fight against GBV in the province.
“The practices we do aren’t that big, its on-going consultation, on-going reporting annually to our administrators and to the people and indirectly sensitized. We have prevention awareness that are going on in the province and we look at GBV as a law and order issue and we approach it as a sexual approach in law and justice sector in the province. One of our major challenge is our people from the rural areas are reaching out to basic services in Lae district and how do they come out to Lae district,” said Hungito.
GEWE Committee Deputy Chairman, Alan Bird was surprised at the difference between the national and provincial level and how administrations are using partners to carry out activities to fight against GVB. Bird also asked if any government funding allocated last year was received from the Department of Community Development to fund those activities.
“We didn’t receive any support although we did an activity plan at Holiday Inn we didn’t receive the support and we took the ownership so that the program must go ahead,” said the Deputy Provincial Administrator.
The East Sepik Provincial Administration also said it did not receive any funding.