Committee submits recommendations

Chairman of the Permanent Parliamentary Committee on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment Powes Parkop, has reported back that since the setup of the committee, five inquiries and events were conducted with 70 recommendations presented to Parliament.

Parkop says, over 16 provincial governments have adopted provincial G-B-V strategies awaiting endorsement by their respective executive councils for funding.

Since 2021, over 26-million Kina was appropriated in National budget, to support national efforts with another nine-million Kina this year.

The N-C-D Governor adds, the European Union has invested over 90-million Kina in the spotlight project, for the last three years.

While so much funding has been put to combating these issues of gender-based violence, he's also highlighted some of the reasons for these rising statistics, among them the inability of police to arrest and prosecute perpetrators, lack of ownership of national strategy by the Government.

He pointed out the attitude, behaviour and value system of men, their view of women and girls and their rights and responsibilities in the families and communities.

Parkop says, the country has made promises to the people including women and girls, however the reality on the ground starkly contrasts with the many constitutional and international conventions, signed up to.

Mr. Parkop was speaking during the Special parliamentary session on the Status of Women and Girls.