More than 40 staff members, volunteers, and caregivers from the Morobe Adventist Care Centre (MACC) in Lae participated in a two-day intensive information session held from 21–22 January 2025 at the Care Centre.
The information session covered a range of important topics, including family and sexual violence (FSV), child abuse, referral pathways, types of abuse and their impacts, the gender-based violence tree, and the cycle of violence. It also highlighted relevant laws that are in place to protect families and children, such as the Lukautim Pikinini Act 2015 and Family Protection Act 2013.
The main objective of the information session was to educate the participants, inspire them to advocate for survivors’ justice, and empower them to raise awareness and help break the cycle of violence in their communities.
According to Femili PNG Community and Outreach Officer, Alice Tibalum, the information session was highly interactive. Participants took part in group discussions and presentations, asked questions, shared personal experiences, and reflected on the knowledge gained.
Many women expressed deep appreciation for the session on child abuse, and the laws in place to protect and promote the rights of children.
“I would like to acknowledge Femili PNG for an insightful information session. Most of what we have learnt are normal behaviors and attitudes in our households. With the knowledge I have gained today, it is a revelation to me. I realized that what we as parents have normalized in our household in terms of disciplining our children is most of the time abuse,” said an adult female participant.
Participants also reflected on their experiences working with children at the care centre. One of the care takers said: “Child clients have a backstory. They have been through a lot. As a result, they take out their frustrations on us. But we don’t take it personally, instead we try to understand and continue to show them the love they deserve.”
The participants were grateful to Femili PNG for an informative session about the issues affecting families and the laws in place to protect them.
Thank you to the Australian Government, through the PNGAus Partnership, for its continued support, which empowers Femili PNG to keep informing and educating men and women on the issue of FSV.
