The Ambassador of the European Union and representatives of the United Nations recently visited the Eastern Highlands Province (EHP) to reaffirm their commitment to supporting and strengthening collaboration with the provincial government and local stakeholders in addressing gender-based violence (GBV).
Femili PNG joined other stakeholders at the high-level meeting with EU Ambassador H.E. Ms. Erika Hasznos, accompanied by representatives from UN Women, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and the United Nations Office for Projects (UNOP). Also present were the Governor of Eastern Highlands Province, Hon. Simon Sia, the CEO of Goroka General Hospital and his directors, Acting Provincial Police Commander, the Community Development Advisor, Family Support Centre, Juvenile Criminal Justice Unit, Deputy Administrator, Family & Sexual Violence Unit, KUSWA, and other key partners.
The meeting focused on the “Soim Wokabaut Program”, a new initiative designed to strengthen service providers and government stakeholders in tackling the alarming GBV situation in the province. Delegates also engaged directly with service providers to learn more about their work.
Femili PNG CEO, Ms. Daisy Plana, shared updates on the organisation’s programs and activities in EHP. She acknowledged the support received from UN Women under the Spotlight Initiative and expressed gratitude to EHP Community Development and the Provincial Administration for their recognition through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
In his remarks, Governor Simon Sia thanked Femili PNG for its collaboration with government services, NGOs, and CSOs, noting the importance of demonstrating evidence of impact. He also challenged male officers to reflect on their roles in addressing GBV and sorcery accusation-related violence (SARV), reaffirming his personal commitment: “This issue is important to me.”
A strong call to action was made by the UNFPA representative, urging the Governor to take immediate steps to address challenges faced by both survivors and service providers. Key concerns raised included:
- Ensuring confidentiality for survivors, as medical reports are currently accessed through payment despite being intended as free.
- Improving medical access for survivors.
- Increasing the number of female officers trained in Family and Sexual Violence Units (FSVU) to strengthen survivor-centred responses.
UNFPA is currently supporting Femili PNG to localise case management approach in Eastern Highlands Province since 2024. This initiative included: consultations, case management trainings, develop case management standardise forms and enabled selected GBV partners to undergo placement with Femili PNG to upskill their knowledge on case management.
Hence, UNFPA representative, Edith Akiror used this opportunity to challenge and encourage Eastern Highlands Provincial Government to consider taking immediate actions.
The meeting underscored the urgency of coordinated action and reinforced the collective commitment of government, civil society, and international partners to address GBV in Eastern Highlands Province.
