KEY
ACTIVITIES

Permanent Parliamentary Committee on GEWE

A Special Parliamentary Committee on Gender-Based Violence was established in 2020 by the 10th National Parliament with a broad mandate to inquire into issues related to GBV and to report back to the Parliament.

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On 1 December 2022, the 11th Parliament established a Permanent Parliamentary Committee on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment which was designed to take over the work of the former Special Parliamentary Committee on GBV and to broaden out its efforts to improve the lives of women and girls across PNG. The Committee is now permanent, which means it will be re-established in every Parliament. The Committee has the power to hold public hearings and make reports back to the National Parliament. 

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Parliamentary Committee Members

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• Chairman: Governor Powes Parkop, NCD

• Deputy Chairman:  Governor Allan Bird, East Sepik Province

• Member: Governor Rufina Peter, Central Province

• Member: Hon. Marsh Narewec, Member for Wau Waria

• Member: Hon. Ricky Morris, Member for Alotau

• Member: Hon. William Bando, Member For Koroba Lake Kopiago

• Member: Hon. MP Lohia Boe Samuel, Port Moresby North West 

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Parliamentary Committee Terms of Reference

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The Permanent Parliamentary Committee on GEWE and GBV shall have the mandate to:

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• Inquire into any proposed law or issues referred to the Committee by the National Parliament;

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• Review existing or proposed laws to asses their impact on gender equality, women’s empowerment or GBV and propose and promote law reforms as appropriate;

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• Provide oversight of the implementation of Government policies and programmes related to promoting GEWE and addressing GBV to ensure that Government resources are being used more effectively to address GEWE and GBV;

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• Provide oversight over the Government’s implementation of the National GBV Strategy (2016-2025) and inputs into any updated or new strategy after 2025, including the adequacy of the policy framework, coordination efforts, crisis response services, prevention activities, behaviour change activities, perpetrator programmes, GBV data collection and management and other related issues, across government departments, the Royal PNG Constabulary and related enforcement and prosecution services, the courts, provincial and local level governments, non-government organisations, community-based organisations, faith-based organisations, frontline service providers and the private sector;

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• Inquire into how women’s leadership can be more proactively supported by the Government, key national institutions such as the PNG Election Commission, Integrity of Political Parties and Candidates Commission, political parties and other stakeholders, including by examining options for implementing temporary special measures for women in Parliament;

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• Inquire into the Government’s policies and programmes to promote women’s economic empowerment, including in areas such as: supporting women in small and medium enterprises, supporting women in the informal sector, strengthening value and supply chains, financial literacy for women, facilitating micro-loans and micro-finance for women;

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• Inquire into the work of the National Council of Women (NCW) and its sub-national member units, including the appropriateness of the NCW Act, election processes at all levels of the body, funding of the NCW, management of the NCW at all levels, and how the NCW can be most effectively operate to engage women across the country and operate as a voice for PNG women and the issues of important to them;

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• Investigate and report on any such other matters as the committee considers appropriate and relevant to promoting gender equality, women’s empowerment and GBV in PNG at all levels of government and across all sectors.​

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