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Papua New Guinea
In the Melanesian context, family includes father�s relatives, mother�s relatives and the extended family of clans and tribes. Violence within the family may be caused or provoked by TV programmes, employment conditions � like the father being employed but no housing provided so he lives with other family relatives (wantoks) � unemployment, illiteracy, poor living conditions.
Such violence can cause marriage break-up, single parents, death of the mother and other evils. In contrast, sometimes marriage break-up may prevent one parent from being murdered or experience lifelong health defects and suffering.
Some of the measures now being taken to address this issue:
- The PNG national Government has passed a law that wife-beating is a crime and should be dealt with by the law.
- It also passed the HIV/AIDS Management and Prevention Bill to address humiliation of any sort against families infected and affected with HIV/AIDS.
- A 2001 report by PNG Institute of National Affairs on Family and Sexual Violence indicated that about 3000 abused children were reported to the authorities between 1995-2000 throughout the country. A report by the Family Violence and Action Committee to address family violence and child abuse in PNG, focuses on legal reforms, services for the victims and community response. It needs to be given high priority.
- Most of the main-line churches have family/women groups that directly address the issue or from which information can be obtained. The Anglican Church has the Mothers� Union (MU) which is concerned with Christian family life and has existed for over 50 years. However, it needs clear vision and goals, with more support to set up self-sustaining projects to help families whose life has met with adversity and to promote conditions in society favourable to stable family life and protection of children.
- PNG has for the first time a centre for abused children and battered women all in one building. This is the initiative of the Port Moresby City Mission to provide a temporary home for children and women.
There is much to be done to set up projects to assist families living with violence. Most families do not come out and admit the environment they live in because of humiliation, culture, fear of their lives, illiteracy and maybe that there are few organisations that actually have projects to help remedy these family issues. More research is needed as to what is actually being achieved.
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