Guidelines to support a referral pathway of services for survivors of family and sexual violence were launched in Port Moresby today.
The guidelines are the collaborative result of partner organisations coordinated by the National Family and Sexual Violence Action Committee (FSVAC) and with funding support from the Australian Government. The partners includegovernment agencies, law and justice representatives, non-government and faith-based organisations, as well as the private sector. The guidelines were designed through a series of workshops aimed at creating greater awareness among agencies and service providers on organisational roles andresponsibilities and internal protocols along the referral pathway, to ensure better support to survivors of family and sexual violence. With this knowledge, this identified the best operational guidelines for support survivors as well as organisations’ delivery of services. Developing stronger links between the various organisations and services is expected to improve collaboration and increase efficient delivery of services to those seeking safety, protection, rehabilitationand justice. The guidelines were officially launched by Acting Deputy Secretary Ms. Roselyn Gwaibo, representing Dr. Lawrence Kalinoe, Secretary of the Department of Justice and Attorney General and Chair of the FSVAC. Speaking on behalf of Dr. Kalinoe, Ms. Gwaibo said: “In multiple ways, family and sexual violence inhibits PNG from moving forward as a country. We all – each single one of us – have to do whatever we can to stop this cycle of violence from repeating itself. This also means Government and non-government organisations working together and playing their parts. The Government is committed to tackling this issue.” Also speaking at the launch, Ms. Ume Wainetti, National Coordinator of the FSVAC, a sectoral committee of the Consultative Implementation and Monitoring Council, said: “These guidelines will support and strengthen coordination of a referral pathway to ensure survivors access high quality services. It is a guide that sets a bench mark for provincial partners to develop their own referral pathways and create directories of existing partners to work together to address family and sexual violence.” Susan Ferguson, Counsellor of the Australian High Commission said: “The referral guidelines will no doubt help you offer the range of services countless survivors of family and sexual violence need to recover and rebuild their lives. I commend the FSVAC and all partners on this significant achievement. “The scope and breadth of the 20 Days of Activism campaign is testament to the ongoing perseverance of all your organisations, and the broader PNG community, and show that there is much good work being done together to prevent and eventually eliminate such violence. We must continue to confront this crime, for the wellbeing of our families and communities, and for the development of Papua New Guinea,” Ms Ferguson said. Partners contributing to the referral guidelines include: Department for Justice and Attorney General, Department for Community Development, Department of Health, NCDC Gender Desk, RPNGC, Office of the Public Prosecutor, Public Solicitor’s Office, Magisterial Services, Village Courts Secretariat, Development Law Association, UN Women, UNDP, PMGH Family Support Centre, Haus Ruth, Lifeline, PSI, Oxfam, Child Fund, Anglicare, FHi 360, Femili PNG, PNG Counsellors’ Association, Medicines Sans Frontieres and the Business Coalition for Women. The Australian Government is committed to supporting the Government of Papua New Guinea in its efforts to end violence against women and children. The workshops to develop the Referral Guidelines and their launch were coordinated by the FSVAC and funded by the Australian Government through the PNG-Australia Law and Justice Partnership – Transition Program.
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