Australia is supporting the development of a new Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Prevention Messaging Guide aimed at helping civil society organisations, advocates and community leaders across Papua New Guinea deliver clear, safe and consistent messages on preventing violence against women.
The guide is designed to challenge harmful attitudes, promote respectful relationships and strengthen violence prevention efforts through evidence-based, survivor-centred and rights-based messaging.
The draft guide was recently reviewed and validated by civil society organisations supported through Australia’s PNG Women Lead program, together with representatives from the PNG National GBV Secretariat.
The validation workshop was facilitated by Papua New Guinean human rights advocate Melkie Anton and Australian sociologist Dr Michael Flood from the Queensland University of Technology (QUT). Partners from Port Moresby, Autonomous Region of Bougainville, Jiwaka, Morobe and Eastern Highlands tested and refined key messages drawing on community experience and evidence, to ensure the guide is practical and locally relevant.
Dr Flood said clear and ethical communication is fundamental to preventing gender-based violence.
“Effective prevention messaging must be clear, consistent, and grounded in evidence and local experience. This guide will help partners to challenge harmful attitudes, promote respectful relationships, and strengthen prevention efforts across Papua New Guinea,” he said.
The workshop builds on earlier consultations where practitioners identified priority messaging needs and shared lessons from their work in communities across the country.
The guide is expected to be finalised later this year and will support organisations to deliver coordinated, evidence-informed messaging through community outreach, awareness campaigns and Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials.
