Port Moresby, NCD, PAPUA NEW GUINEA

Nearly two thousand people marched in peace and solidarity to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (EVAW). Governor Powes Parkop led the walkers through the city with the chant, “Strongpla man respectim meri”.

This year’s walk attracted the largest numbers ever with corporate partners and leaders, the public sector, the Brisbane Broncos Rugby League Club, the Internal Inland Revenue Commission (IRC), the PNG Orchids Women’s Rugby League team and Governor Powes Parkop’s NCDC walkers joining the effort to raise awareness about the need to address family and sexual violence (FSV).

Community leaders called for action including Kathy Kiage who told the crowd, “I am here today because I am passionate about change in Papua New Guinea and in our community. I will promote an end to gender-based violence by working with women and girls to find solutions to their violent situations.”

Oil Search Foundation with Bel isi PNG, a public private partnership to address FSV, organised the walk. Bel isi PNG offers case management, safe house and counselling assistance to women and their children. Staff from companies that subscribe to the initiative can access a full suite of services and their leaders can find professional support to drive behaviour change in their companies and communities.

Studies reveal that three out of four women in PNG will experience violence in their lifetime. The large number of people participating in today’s walk shows the community commitment to changing attitudes towards women and girls.

It is well recognised that FSV also is a cost to business. One company surveyed lost an estimated K3million in one year due to the impact of FSV and 68% of employees surveyed had experienced family violence.

Peter Botten, Managing Director of Oil Search is a strong supporter of the Bel isi initiative, “At Oil Search we have a domestic violence procedure and subscribe to Bel isi PNG. This combination of support is designed to assist our staff and is the right thing to do as human beings.”

Bel isi PNG is supported by the Australian Government in partnership with the Government of Papua New Guinea as part of the Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development program. The initiative would not have been possible without the founding support of Bank South Pacific, Steamships, Oil Search and many other partners.

Port Moresby, NCD, PAPUA NEW GUINEA

By Amanda Anderson

Fourteen men gathered one afternoon to talk about a problem close to their hearts and discuss solutions to a shared challenge. These men were a diverse group, representing businessmen and public servants, community leaders, sports stars and young men just starting their careers. They participated openly as equals, coming together as fathers, sons, brothers, community members, neighbours and employers all seeking a safe home, community and nation for women and girls.

Every man at the table had a story to tell. Most had suffered or witnessed violence as a child and understood the fear, pain and injury this can cause. Each man, in his own way has rejected gender-based violence as the “normal” way of life and made a conscious decision to ensure the strength and value of all Papua New Guinean women is nurtured with love and respect.

Internal Revenue Commissioner Alois Daton shared with the group that he is a male champion to end violence because the only solution to this problem is for men to work with men. As both a leader and an active advocate he stood proudly in his Internal Revenue Commission uniform which read “Treat Her Right” while pointing out the female version reads “I Am Equal”.

Male champion Eddie Aila noted that too often men lack the confidence to accept responsibility for their actions. He recounted the moment when he realised he had the power within himself to end his own violent behaviour and accept responsibility for his actions. He feels all men can change, and there is an essential role that other men can play to help. He felt so strongly he founded Warrior Culture, a local program which supports men in overcoming violent behaviour and personal challenges charting a path for change.

A small group of confident and passionate young men who work for UN Women’s Sanap Wantaim, Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) and University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) were amongst the group. As strong advocates for women and girls they shared insightful stories from work in rural and settlement communities and recounted lessons learned through listening to men. They also spoke enthusiastically of creating a “new normal” for PNG, with the firm belief that working with youth is essential.

One such youth program is the 3R’s or Rights, Respect and Resilience which focusses on behaviour change in youths and respect for oneself and others. This is implemented in secondary schools and is supported by the Australian Government. As Christopher Kageni from Sanap Wantaim quipped, “you must bend the tree while it is young before it grows too strong in its roots”.

Broncos player Corey Parker also attended the forum and encouraged the men by emphasising, “as a sportsman I do not respect men who do not respect women. We all have our part to play and no part is too small”.

Corey Parker visited Port Moresby to join the Elimination of Violence Against Women walk where nearly 2,000 people walked peacefully through the city to express their support. This walk was organised by Oil Search Foundation and Bel isi PNG.

Bel isi PNG is a new public-private partnership to address family and sexual violence thorough not only the provision of essential services for survivors of violence, but also through a platform for the men and women to lead change.

While we often find problems at every corner, problems which may feel like impossible obstacles, these men are focussed on solutions and positive change for their communities. And the brightest news is they are not alone and are looking to encourage and join forces with other male champions and advocates. Are you ready to be part of their journey?

I am pleased to contribute to the inaugural Bel isi PNG newsletter from the perspective of both Oil Search Foundation (OSF) that is key partner as well as a Subscriber. 

Over the years in different locations - Australia, my asples, Alaska USA, and in Papua New Guinea - I have seen firsthand the effects family and sexual violence (FSV) on friends, loved ones and my staff. As a professional, I understand all too well the burden FSV places on the workplace in terms of missed days at work, a lack of performance of staff, and from occupational health and safety concerns. These are the reasons my own organisation, Oil Search, has put in place a Domestic Violence Policy and why OSF has prioritised addressing FSV as part of its core strategy.

There is now a wealth of international, evidenced based research that confirms the links between domestic violence and negative economic development. A more recent study in Port Moresby put a dollar sign against the cost to doing business with one company alone calculating costs of $3 million kina in one year. Business leaders have started looking at these figures and understanding the impact of domestic violence on their bottom line.  

A turning point in bringing individual companies together to address the problem was the donation of a residential compound by Bank of South Pacific to use as a safe house. As conversations on what to do with this generous offer evolved, the idea of galvanising the private sector as a key partner to address domestic violence matured and a public private partnership to address family and sexual violence emerged. Bel isi has risen as a result of cooperation, joints efforts and donations in time, knowledge, in kind and in cash.

It is ultimately partnership that made the initiative possible. Following BSP’s offer, Steamships Trading donated office space now used as a case-management centre. G4S Security is providing 24 hours transport to those requiring it from an unsafe to safe location free of charge, Brian Bell is providing cleaning supplies and furniture, 9-Mile Farm and Stop and Shop [AA1] are donating food and PNG Power is giving free electricity.

Importantly the Australian Government, through their Pacific Women program, has provided a significant grant for the project. This funding is being used to not only support new case management and safe house services, but to improve domestic violence services across Port Moresby. Many of the generous donations we are receiving from the private sector are also being shared. For example, we share food donations with other local safe houses. Our moto is that nobody is left behind.

Improving services for all survivors and supporting the private sector to help their employees address the cost to doing business is one part of Bel isi PNG. But we cannot ignore prevention. This is where leadership is essential. A key element is to work with private sector and other leaders to support them to galvanise change. This approach recognises that the formal employment sector has ‘captured’ within their organisation tens of thousands of employees who can be inspired to change their behaviour and also become champions of change within their own communities. We want to provide the support, tools and platform for leaders to make a difference both individually and collectively.

We are also working closely with the public sector on both prevention and improved services. National Capital District Commission Governor, Powes Parkop has been an enormous support to Bel isi PNG from the start. Since 2007, Governor Parkop has seen Port Moresby and its composite PNG population as the terrain to initiate changes that he wants to see spreading to the rest of the country. His focus on prevention and empowering communities to change complements perfectly the work we are doing through Bel isi PNG.

In the first month of launching Bel isi, I personally have already seen the impact we can and will have as a community. We have helped local safe houses with food and sustainability planning, we have spoken with numerous leaders about their roles in prevention and improved services and held a leadership forum to share international best practice, and we already helping survivors including two women from my own staff.

I was able to help these women immediately when they came to me with terrible problems of violence at home. In both cases they went to the Bel isi PNG case management centre. They were supported to receive much needed medical care. In one case the police were involved and arrested the perpetrator, a rapist. In the second case a protection order was immediately obtained, and our safe house received its first client. They were both immensely thankful for the support and are already back at work.

What I am most proud of is that we are supporting the Papua New Guinean community who is standing up to say Enough is Enough. They are acting in their communities, their churches, their business and homes. They are drawing support from the existing network, and by joining it, creating even greater momentum. Individually we can do our bit but together we can make an incredible and long-lasting difference. Thank you for joining us in this most important initiative.

Stephanie Copus-Campbell,
Executive Director of the Papua New Guinean (PNG) Oil Search Foundation

Bel isi PNG (peaceful PNG) is a public private partnership to address family and sexual violence (FSV) for those living in Port Moresby.

Companies and organisations in Port Moresby that want their employees to benefit from coordinated and structured FSV services can subscribe to Bel isi PNG.

Subscribers gain access to practical solutions including:

- Professionally operated case management services for employees and their immediate family members to assist them in addressing their individual situations.

-Access for female employees and their immediate family members to a secure and professionally operated safe house when required.

-Executive membership to a leadership forum that includes an annual event with internationally recognised guest participants.

-Regular newsletters, education and communication materials on the availability of services to help make FSV prevention and support part of the company culture.

-Induction session for leaders and staff to explain the available services provided by Bel Isi PNG.

How do I obtain more information?

Click here for more.

By Stephanie Copus-Campbell, Executive Director, Oil Search Foundation

Can family and sexual violence (FSV) be more than the humanitarian concern that we know it to be? The answer is yes. In Papua New Guinea (PNG) FSV has been quantified as a significant cost to business.  For example, for one company recently surveyed in Port Moresby the cost was PGK 3 million in one year alone.

A common story is of a person, most often a woman, who experiences FSV and is distracted at work, worried about her safety and that of her children. She may miss days at work because of injury or mental stress.  She is concerned that disclosing her situation will only create more problems, so she remains silent and is increasingly exhausted from pretending everything is fine.  Her job performance suffers, she is disciplined by her supervisor and this causes even more stress.

Now let us propose a different scenario. The same woman walks into a workplace that is actively committed to immediate, practical support to staff. She has access to safety planning, counselling, legal advice and, if required, to a safe haven. She is aware, as are her colleagues, that her company will help her and that there is a safe space to share her situation.

Such is the direction chosen by Bel Isi PNG (Peaceful PNG): to tackle the problem from the angle of the economic impact on the workplace. The initiative has the dual purpose of benefiting both individuals and companies.

Bel Isi PNG’s innovation is three-fold. First, it takes a strong partnership approach involving all sectors – government, private sector, and community.  Second, it increases resources for support through asking companies to pay subscription fees. Finally, it galvanises leadership, both male and female, to prevent violence and improve services. Combined, this model is a world-first public-private partnership to address FSV.

Bel Isi PNG started with donations – a building to be used as a safe house from Bank of South Pacific and an office space from Steamships Trading Co for a case management centre. The Oil Search Foundation agreed to design, manage and help fund the project, and the Australian Government stepped in with significant financial backing. Since the initiative was launched G4S, a local security firm has donated 24 hour free transport from an unsafe location to a safe one, Nine Mile Farm and Stop and Shop local producers have donated regular food supplies, Brian Bell, a local homeware store is giving furniture and cleaning supplies and PNG Power all of the power. The operation of Bel Isi services by Femili PNG, a PNG NGO, will assist survivors and support the existing network of services.

So, how does Bel Isi PNG work? Companies pay a subscription fee, and can steer their staff who need help towards targeted individual support such as medical care and counselling, police and legal resources, and shelter if necessary. This allows those experiencing FSV to better cope with their circumstances and return to work sooner and more focused. Bel Isi services will also assist public clients, with the case management centre and 24 hour transport support open to all.

Bel Isi PNG also offers potential for longer-term, deeper influence, as it gives companies help in drafting and implementing their own policies defining their response to FSV.

A clear, sustained company policy works in depth at shifting perspectives: as outspoken opposition to violence becomes part of the company culture, survivors are made aware of their rights and feel secure in the availability of help, whilst transgressors are warned of the consequence of their wrongdoings, at employment and at legal level, whilst they are supported to change their behaviour.

Inclusivity and collaboration are cornerstones of Bel Isi PNG. The combined reach of private, public and community efforts will provide easier access to support, and increasingly so, as the initiative grows.  An annual executive Leadership Forum and quarterly newsletters will facilitate communication and provide a way to share innovative leadership initiatives to combat it.

In an inaugural Executive Leadership Forum held on 3 September, Australians Elizabeth Broderick, founder of the Australian Males for Change, and General Angus Campbell, Australian Chief of Defence Force and a seasoned champion of male commitment to gender equality, discussed FSV with PNG leaders from the private and public sector.

Around the table at the Forum were prominent names from the PNG economic and government scene. Governor Powes Parkop played a strong leadership role.  All participants shared a common frustration with the impact of violence on their organisation, and the need to address it.

Through bold, collaborative action and active networking with kindred local and national initiatives, Bel Isi PNG participants will draw strength from each other, creating ripples converging to the shared awareness that FSV violence is simply unacceptable.

Bel Isi PNG is a potential game changer. It’s a public-private partnership that could bring about real change in PNG, and could set a positive example and precedent for the rest of the world.

To learn more about Bel isi PNG go to www.belisipng.org.pg

Stephanie Copus Campbell is Executive Director of the Oil Search Foundation, and a Board Member of Femili PNG.