Australia provides mini-bus to improve access to services for survivors of family and sexual violence

Australia has provided a mini-bus to the Family Support Centre (FSC) at the Port Moresby General Hospital to support its outreach to survivors of family and sexual violence.

The mini-bus will link survivors to services such as the police Family and Sexual Violence Unit, Sexual Offences Squad, courts and safe houses and respond to urgent requests for help after hours.

The Port Moresby General Hospital, in consultation with the Consultative Implementation and Monitoring Council’s Family and Sexual Violence Action Committee, established the centre for survivors of family and sexual violence in Port Moresby.

The centre provides emergency health services, trauma counselling and case management services for survivors of family and sexual violence, who are mainly women and children.

The centre helped almost 500 people between January and June this year.  The number of people seeking help has risen. The centre helped 76 people in January 2015 compared with 19 in January 2014.

The mini-bus was provided by the Australian Government’s Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development program. Australia is assisting the hospital to scope a possible refurbishment of the centre to help meet demand for its services.

Through the Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development program, Australia will spend AU$58 million over five years in PNG on programs to reduce family and sexual violence and improve leadership and economic opportunities for women and girls.