BCFW continues to support Bel isi PNG subscribers

The Business Coalition for Women has been supporting Bel isi PNG subscribers in a number of ways including assisting companies with their Family and Sexual Violence (FSV) policy adaptation, policy review, two-day FSV Workplace Contact Team training, staff education sessions, management training and policy implementation support.

The BCFW FSV forum is one of two large events hosted annually by the Coalition and encourages Bel isi PNG subscribers to attend. Since 2019, PNG BCFW has successfully hosted three FSV forums, attended by and positively impacting fourteen Bel isi PNG subscribing companies. Expanding their reach, BCFW hosted a FSV Forum in Lae, in Morobe Province, for the first time in 2021. The forum was well attended, and guests included the Bel isi PNG Steering Committee Chair, Robin Fleming, the Lae business sector, Morobe Provincial Government, Lae City Authority, FSV service providers and FSV contact members.

The Lae inaugural business FSV Forum, for the first time brought together different players who are key in the fight against FSV, to discuss issues affecting the prevention and response to FSV in the province. Positive results came out from this forum, notably the Lae MP John Rosso having one-on-one conversations with FSV service providers on how to improve their services and the partnership between BCFW and Lae City Authority where FSV prevention and response messages were installed at a main bus stop in Lae.

Planning is currently underway for the fourth FSV forum, planned to be held on November 23rd, 2022 in Port Moresby. The focus of the forum this year is on online/cyber violence, with the intent to draw attention to a form of violence that is emerging and re-quires addressing and prevention.

The forum this year will coincide with the global 16 Days of Human Rights Activism. The BCFW FSV forum will comprise of a se-ries of events; a keynote presentation by the Australian eSafety Commissioner, panel discussion, booth exhibition and a presenta-tion of a report, capturing key findings from our FSV monitoring and evaluation survey undertaken by BCFW membership who are implementing the FSV policy in their respective organizations.

The forum aims to help FSV workplace contact teams to:

a) Understand what constitutes cyber violence, how to address it and support those impacted by it

b) Increase awareness on legislations on cyber/online violence and understand how the reporting process works

c) Showcase the existing referral pathways and the services available in the community

d) Create a networking opportunity between business and social services

e) To identify and explore challenges and opportunities faced by the companies in terms of operationalizing workplace policies and guidelines that safeguards employees experiencing FSV; and,

f) To strategize a way forward in establishing solutions to business challenges.

While the forum provides subscribing companies the opportunity to increase their understanding of preventing and responding to FSV, BCFW and IFC further strengthened the support to Bel isi PNG subscribers through the ‘Workplace responses to Family and Sexual Violence in PNG: Measuring the Business Case’ survey. This report presented the results of research among employees at three major companies in Papua New Guinea (PNG). The research found that there are benefits to staff and businesses when companies respond to family and sexual violence by implementing policies, procedures and training.

Survey participants affected by family and sexual violence most commonly received workplace support through paid time off, counselling and referral to Bel isi PNG case management.

There are early signs that measures recently introduced by the three companies, such as a team of staff trained to support col-leagues and a subscription to a support service (Bel isi PNG) are making positive differences. These three companies are now undertaking the end-line survey, to find out whether there have been changes in the prevalence, impacts, attitudes to and support for staff affected by family and sexual violence. See the full report here: Workplace responses to Family and Sexual Violence in PNG: Measuring the Business Case | BCFW (pngbcfw.org)