Papua New Guinea: Special Rapporteur Reports on Violence against Women
Wednesday, April 24, 2013 12:20 PM

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, Rashida Manjoo has released a report on her mission to Papua New Guinea in 2012. The report contains an examination of the situation of violence against women in the country, including violence that is perpetrated within the family and the community.
 
The report states that due to a number of factors, including early marriage, girls often are forced to leave school, which affects their employment opportunities in the future. Only 5% of females have formal employment.
 
The report also examines domestic and sexual violence in Papua New Guinea. It states that 67% of rural husbands surveyed, and 57% of rural wives, thought it was acceptable in some circumstances for a man to hit his wife or any other female household member.  And, due to the prevalence of rape, gang rape, and other forms of violence in the streets, women have limited ability to move freely and safely.
 
The report also analyzes the legislative framework of the country as well as its institutional development, and provides recommendations regarding law and policy reforms, statistics and data collection and societal change, including awareness raising.