Australia boosts access to family and sexual violence support services in Bougainville

Australia has launched a new support centre, aimed at rehabilitating male perpetrators of family and sexual violence. The Australian Government through the Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development Program has partnered with the Nazareth Rehabilitation Centre to provide counselling and rehabilitation services for men. “Funding the men’s support centre is important because violence against women is fundamentally an issue of gender inequality,” 

Acting Australian High Commissioner to PNG James Hall said. “The support that the new centre provides will help to change attitudes and behaviours and prevent violence.” The support centre is a component of an Australian funded K3 million partnership with the Nazareth Rehabilitation Centre under a Gender Justice and Healing Program. The program aims to increase access to justice and counselling services for survivors of family and sexual violence in Bougainville and promotes shared power and decision

making between women and men. Sister Lorraine Garasu, who runs the Nazareth Rehabilitation Centre, said the centre will also extend support for other social issues. “Many of the cases that we see for men and boys involve drugs and alcohol.

We include education on substance abuse as a part of the counselling process.” The launch of the men’s support centre coincides with the Australian High Commission’s White Ribbon Day commemorations in different parts of the country. White Ribbon Day on 25 November observes the

International Day of the Elimination of Violence against Women. In Bougainville, staff of the Australian High Commission will be in Tinputz to mark the day. “Globally, more than one in every three women has been beaten, coerced into sex, or abused in some other way, most often by someone

she knows, including her husband or another male family member,” Mr Hall said.

“The launch of the men’s support centre and White Ribbon Day commemorations is an important reminder for us to renew our commitment to take action against violence in homes, workplaces and

our communities.” Australia works in partnership with all levels of government in PNG and Bougainville, civil society, international partners, women and men to respond to violence against women. This includes enabling women’s access to justice and increasing the level of support services for survivors.