Oxfam Australia welcomes funding from the Australia Government today for a project supporting families experiencing sexual and domestic violence in Papua New Guinea (PNG).
The $3 million funding will be provided over three years to a new PNG NGO, the Family and Sexual Violence Case Management Centre (CMC), based in Lae. The CMC will be supported by Oxfam and the Australian National University (ANU).
Oxfam Australia Chief Executive Helen Szoke said this is a significant investment from the Australian Government in improving gender equity and enhancing the human rights of women and children in the region.
“The challenges posed by gender-based violence in Papua New Guinea are all too real, with about 80 per cent of women and girls having experienced domestic violence,” Dr Szoke said.
“Much of Oxfam‟s work in the Pacific focuses on reducing gender-based violence. This new funding will extend that work and enable the CMC to provide legal advice, referral and support to survivors of gender-based violence.
“Oxfam works closely with partners across PNG who are providing similar services to their communities, and provides mentoring and capacity building to the CMC so that together we can deliver support to the greatest number of women and children.”
The project is also set to receive probono capacity and research support from academics at the Australian National University‟s Development Policy Centre and the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health.
“We welcome the valuable research input of the academics from the Australian National University who have been working voluntarily with the CMC to get this project off the ground, and will enable a strong focus on evidence based practice in the work of the CMC.
“This project is an example of the effectiveness of partnerships in strengthening and increasing the reach of our work in the region.”
This year, Oxfam‟s program to „End Violence Against Women‟ will provide crisis support, counseling and referral for more than 6000 women and children in PNG and reach nearly 5000 men and boys with awareness programs focused on family and sexual violence.
For interviews or more information, please contact Emma Whalan on 0418 873 782 or emmawhalan@oxfam.org.au
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