By Tamara Pia Agavi
During last Friday’s parliament sitting, Minister for Labour & Employment and member for Rai Coast, Kessy Sawang reminded the parliament on its stance on Gender Based Violence as well as harassment at the workplace.
Gender Based Violence against the girls and womenfolk in the country has increased staggeringly. In recent surveys, more than 56 percent of women between the ages of 15 to 49 have experienced physical violence since their youth.
Minister Sawang called on the parliament to remember the stance that it took earlier this year on GBV by initiating the permanent parliamentary committee for gender equality and women empowerment.
Sawang addressed the house of parliament by giving her recount of her visit to the International Labour organization last week Wednesday when she gave the detailed report on the permanent parliamentary committee’s findings on sexual harassment at the workplace. She said the report was detailed and left nothing out about what women had to endure.
“The ratified conventions are labour inspection convention 1947(No.8) the tripartite consultation (ILO) convention, 1976 and the violence and harassment convention, 20199 No.190)”
“PNG become the 33rd ILO member state and the 3rd in the Asia Pacific region to ratify convention No.190 on violence and harassment affects all levels of society. We must ensure the workplace is safe for our people.”
Minister Sawang went on to commend the country for looking at ways to rectify this important issue that is affecting our women and girls.
Sawang ended her plea by saying women and girls should not be subject to violence and that Gender based violence does not only affect women and girls but affects everyone.
She also thanked the chairman for the permanent parliamentary committee for gender equality and women empowerment for the detailed report.
