by Harlyne Joku – Freelance Journalist
Hot spot areas of Gender Based Violence and Sorcery Accusation-Related Violence (GBV and SARV) especially in the highlands and other remote areas need more focus according to the Secretary for Community Development and Religion, Jerry Ubase .
Secretary Ubase made the remarks this morning (Wednesday 29th March) at the opening of the two-day GBV/SARV workshop held at the Gateway Hotel.
Mr Ubase welcomed participants of the workshop comprising of 13 Civil Society Organizations who are recipients of grants that help them carry crisis response and recovery services for the victims of GBV/SARV and urged them to do more.
“We need to do more; we need to extend the support further. We need to cover the wider areas of PNG especially the hot spot areas in the highlands.
“The government system has gone down to the provinces so we should not be pointing fingers to each other who is responsible to carry out tasks, we are all paid to serve our people,” Secretary Ubase said.
UNDP Gender Team Leader, Chelsea Magini supported Secretary’s remarks saying she is happy to hear of the work or the CSOs done so far in the community level where the national and provincial governments cannot reach.
In 2022 the National Government allocated PGK7.93 million to address GBV, the biggest budget allocated to address GBV and SARV in PNG’s history.
On the 9th December 2022, the Department for Community Development and Religion (DFCDR) awarded 13 grants to civil society organizations.
The grants were jointly funded through the DFCDR and UNDP through the European Union Spotlight initiative on Eliminating Violence Against Women and Children.