Violence Against Women in PNG?
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................. 1 2. Background .............................................................................................................. 3 3. What is Known About Violence Against Women in PNG? ................................. 5 3.1 Available Data in Papua New Guinea ............................................................. 5 3.2 Steps to Improve Data Collection................................................................... 8 3.3 Why Data Collection Matters ........................................................................... 9 4. Where and How do Women Experience Violence? .......................................... 10 4.1 International Definitions of Violence Against Women ............................... 11 4.2 Domestic Violence ........................................................................................... 12 Intimate Partner Violence ............................................................................. 12 Sexual Violence in Intimate Relationships ................................................. 13 Women as Perpetrators – Violence Against Husbands? .......................... 14 Women as Perpetrators - Violence Between Co-Wives ........................... 15 4.3 Sexual Violence ............................................................................................... 15 Rape and Gang Rape .................................................................................... 15 Sexual Violence in the Family ...................................................................... 17 Transactional Sex........................................................................................... 18 4.4 State Violence - Police as Perpetrators ........................................................ 19 Police Rape and Sexual Abuse ..................................................................... 19 Domestic Violence within the Police Service ............................................. 20 4.5 Violence Against Women in the Community ............................................... 21 Violent Crime .................................................................................................. 21 Violence as a Means of Dispute Resolution or “pay back” ...................... 22 Tribal Fighting ................................................................................................ 23 5. What is the State Response to Violence Against Women? ............................. 23 5.1 International Human Rights Standards and the State’s Obligations ....... 23 5.2 National Commitments, Plans and Policies ................................................. 25 The Constitution ............................................................................................. 25 The Work of the Law Reform Commission ................................................ 26 CEDAW and Platforms for Action ................................................................ 27 CEDAW Reporting and Implementation ..................................................... 28 National Council of Women .......................................................................... 30 5.3 Criminal Justice System ................................................................................. 30 5.3.1 Legal Framework – Recent Amendments ............................................ 30 5.3.2 Police Investigations ............................................................................... 31 Background - General Ineffectiveness of Police ....................................... 31 Background - Limited Resources and Poor Conditions ............................ 32 Victims who are Dismissed and Sent Away ............................................... 33 Incomplete and Inadequate Investigations ............................................... 35 5.3.3 Support for Victims and Witnesses in the Criminal Justice System . 36 Lack of Support for Women Reporting to the Police................................ 36 Amnesty International September 2006 AI Index: ASA 34/002/2006 2 Papua New Guinea: Violence Against Women: Not Inevitable, Never Acceptable! Responsibility for Initiating and Maintaining Criminal Proceedings ....... 38 Compellability of Spouses ............................................................................. 41 Amendments to the Evidence Act to Assist Victims of Gender-Based Violence ........................................................................................................... 41 5.3.4 The Duty to Protect Women from Violence – Is Reactive Work Alone Enough? ................................................................................................... 42 Community Policing ....................................................................................... 44 5.3.5 Training of Police ..................................................................................... 46 5.3.6 Sentencing Options ................................................................................. 47 Alternatives to Imprisonment ...................................................................... 48 5.4 Village Courts ................................................................................................... 49 Jurisdiction ...................................................................................................... 49 Women and Village Courts ........................................................................... 50 Village Courts, Customary Law and Discrimination Against Women ..... 51 Exceeding the Jurisdiction ............................................................................ 53 5. 6 Civil Remedies ................................................................................................ 54 5.7 Services for Victims ........................................................................................ 55 Healthcare Services ....................................................................................... 56 Counselling services ...................................................................................... 58 5.8 Public Education and Awareness Raising .................................................... 59 6. Women Human Rights Defenders Responding to Violence in Papua New Guinea ......................................................................................................................... 61 6.1 Who are Women Human Rights Defenders? .............................................. 61 6.2 Women Human Rights Defenders in Papua New Guinea ......................... 62 6.3 What Obligations does the State have to Work with Women Human Rights Defenders? ................................................................................................. 63 6.4 Partnership not Substitution .......................................................................... 64 It is the State which has Obligations under CEDAW ................................ 64 The Role of the State in Ensuring Justice .................................................. 66 6.5 Some Responses to Violence Against Women Reinforce Gender Inequality ................................................................................................................ 67 7. Barriers to Change – Challenges Faced by Women Human Rights Defenders ...................................................................................................................................... 68 7.1 Women’s Lack of Representation ................................................................. 68 7.2 Excuses One: Culture ..................................................................................... 72 7.3 Excuses Two: Lack of Resources .................................................................. 74 7.4 Lack of Human Rights Awareness and Other Constraints on Advocacy 75 Security Risks ................................................................................................. 76 7.5 Absence of Accountability Mechanisms ....................................................... 76 Internal Affairs Directorate of the RPNGC ................................................. 79 8. Recommendations................................................................................................. 80 Amnesty International September 2006 AI Index: ASA 34/002/2006 Papua New Guinea: Violence Against Women: Not Inevitable, Never Acceptable! 3 The Full Report Recommendations ........................................................................... 1 Amnesty International September 2006 AI Index: ASA 34/002/2006 Papua New Guinea Violence Against Women: Not Inevitable, Never Acceptable! 1. Introduction In 1995 Papua New Guinea ratified the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). In so doing, the Government of Papua New Guinea made a commitment to ensure that the women of Papua New Guinea would not be denied their enjoyment of human rights because of gender-based discrimination. Part of this commitment includes an obligation to act with due diligence to ensure that gender-based violence against women is prevented, investigated and punished, whether the perpetrator is a State official or a private individual, and that reparation is provided to victims. A decade later, Amnesty International spoke to women throughout the country still waiting for the government to deliver on that commitment. Although recent, comprehensive data does not exist, all available