The women of Papua New Guinea endure some of the most extreme levels of violence in the world. They continue to be attacked with impunity despite their government’s promises of justice. The situation has been described as a humanitarian disaster yet still does not receive the broader public attention it deserves, inside or outside Papua New Guinea. It is also a significant obstacle to Papua New Guinea's development and prosperity.
The Kiribati study shows that violence against women is prevalent:
- More than 2 in 3 (68%) ever-partnered women aged 15–49 reported experiencing physical or sexual violence, or both, by an intimate partner.
- 47% of women aged 15–49 who had ever been in a relationship reported experiencing emotional abuse by a partner at least once. Almost 1 in 3 women (30%) experienced emotional abuse in the 12 months prior to the interview.
The Vanuatu study shows that violence against women is prevalent:
- Among women who have ever had an intimate sexual relationship with a partner, 60% experienced physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime; 68% experienced emotional violence; 28% were subjected to several forms of control by their partner, 69% experienced at least one form of coercive control, and most of these were living with physical and sexual violence.
This short paper looks at how the terms ‘sorcery’ and ‘witchcraft’ are frequently fused or used interchangeably, and are rarely conceptually distinguished. This blurring of the two occurs not only in popular accounts in the media but is widely reproduced by NGOs, donor organisations, and government institutions. A new acronym has even been coined SRK (‘sorcery-related killing’) that perpetuates the definitional lack of clarity, since it uses one term, sorcery, to refer to both sorcery and witchcraft.
Even as the importance of women’s economic inclusion and empowerment is acknowledged and acted on, it is also known that such gains are not without risk; for increasing command over financial resources can expose women to domestic conflict and violence.
This mapping paper includes examples of efforts by the private sector in the Pacific to address violence against women and provides examples of how States can begin to calculate the costs of violence to a nation’s economy. While there are some great examples of private sector initiatives, there is little information available on the successes and impacts of these initiatives.
The report titled ‘Violence against Women in Melanesia and East Timor: Building on Global and Regional Promising Approaches’ by the Australian Government’s Office of Development Effectiveness found that violence against women is severe, pervasive and constrains development in Melanesia and East Timor. It causes trauma to women and their families and communities. It severely limits women’s social, political and economic participation in their communities.