By NELLIE SETEPANO

VIOLENCE against women and girls is a pervasive phenomenon in Papua New Guinea with wide rage of manifestations in the community and institutional settings. Also, official data to capture the different manifestations or prevalence rates of violence against women and girls in the country does not exist. This was observed by visiting United Nation’s Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, Rashida Manjoo. This, she said, yesterday in a press conference was a challenge to the statistical office. But during her one-week meetings she found out from the Government, Non-Government Organisations and survivors that indicated extreme high levels of violence throughout the country. The types of violence include domestic violence and sexual violence within family. She observed that there were alarming reports of violence perpetrated against persons accused of witchcraft or sorcery. She also noted some of the causes of violence which included polygamy, brideprice, abuse of alcohol and drugs, tribal conflicts, police brutality and sexual abuse in detention. 

“In a provincial police station, I witnessed the incarceration of minor and adult women together and found women and girls who had been kept in custody for up to three months in extremely inadequate conditions, while awaiting trial. Some of them had no access to a lawyer,”  she said yesterday. 

“The prevalence of sexual violence is particularly worrying given PNG is currently facing high rates of HIV AIDS, with one per cent of its 6.5 million people being infected and women and girls being disproportionately affected, accounting for 60 per cent of the people living with HIV in the country,”

Ms Manjoo said. She hopes that relevant laws are passed soon; existing laws are adequately enforced; existing specialised units are strengthened and replicated at the provincial and district levels; women are encouraged and supported by the State agencies to bring their cases to the district and national courts; and that accountability rather than impunity becomes the norm for all aspects of violence against women and girls. Her findings will be discussed with the UN Human Rights Council in June 2013. She hopes that this report will have impact on UN donor agencies, PNG Government’s partners and communities to investigate and also have workable solutions on violence against women.