Bel isi PNG Operations Update
It has been a busy period for our team at the Bel isi PNG Case Management Centre since the COVID-19 State of Emergency (SoE) was declared. We remain very concerned about the spike in levels of violence being reported across the world and anticipate increases in PNG.
Between the months of January to June 2020, the Bel isi PNG operator, Femili PNG, received a total of 208 new cases and four reopened cases bringing the progressive total to 619 clients since the case management centre was opened in October 2018.
Since January 2020 we provided 39 clients and 20 dependents with safe accommodation. A total of 1,945 consultations were provided to clients, service providers or the relatives of the clients in the same time period. Thirteen individuals (women and children) were repatriated to their home provinces with the support of Bel isi PNG partners.
Women represented majority of new clients (87.5%) followed by female child clients at 6.7%, male adult clients at 3.8%, and male child clients at 1.9%.
Of the 208 new clients, 31 survivors identified as having a disability (14.9%), with a few survivors having more than one disability.
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is consistently the highest cause of presentation with 87% of clients experiencing it. Around 8% clients experienced child abuse and 2% experienced sexual abuse not related
to IPV. One percent of clients presented with sorcery related violence.
From February to March 2020 we provided FSV awareness sessions for 214 staff from subscribing companies, bringing the progressive total of staff attending these awareness sessions to 2,626 since 2018.
Due to the onset of COVID-19 and the strict government regulations in place we will not be hosting public events with big gatherings in the foreseeable future. This includes the annual Bel isi PNG Leadership Forum and the Bel isi PNG Walk to End Violence Against Women and Children (EVAW) which usually takes place in
November. We will continue to provide regular updates and communication via email and virtual meetings during this period.
We have 15 companies that have subscribed to Bel isi PNG and others negotiating new subscriptions demonstrating the ongoing need for these services.
The Bel isi PNG initiative is an innovative public/private/civil society partnership between Papua New Guinean and international businesses, the National Capital District Commission, and is supported by the Australian Government in partnership with the Government of Papua New Guinea, Bank of South Pacific, the Business Coalition for Women, Oil Search Foundation, Oil Search Limited, G4S and Steamships Trading Co.