Pacific leaders must address high levels of violence against women

Pacific countries will only fully achieve the development goals discussed at this week's Pacific Island Forum Leaders' meeting if they address one of the gravest human rights violations in the region – violence against women, Amnesty International said today. Rates of violence against women in a number of Pacific Island countries are among the highest in the world.

"Without ending violence against women, we cannot fully achieve the goals of the Pacific Plan or the Millennium Development Goals," said Amnesty International's Pacific Researcher Apolosi Bose, speaking from Cairns.

Violence against women hampers development in a number of Pacific Island countries, affecting not only the health and welfare of the women experiencing violence, but their families, communities and country. For example, violence is a contributing factor to the rapid spread of the HIV/AIDS in the region.

Most Pacific Island countries do not even have stand-alone legislation combating gender-based violence. Some, such as Vanuatu, PNG, the Solomon Islands, Kiribati and Fiji, have passed or amended laws that make some inroads into protecting women's rights, but these do not go far enough.

"Governments need to take proactive measures to protect women's rights by preventing, prohibiting and prosecuting violence against women," said Apolosi Bose.

"Leaders meeting here this week have a unique opportunity. They can decide to live up to their international obligations and, on return to their home countries, set in place the legal and other measures to eliminate violence against women. It will take political will, and it will take leadership with vision and foresight."

Progress has been made over the last 10 years. Nearly all Pacific Island countries have now ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. Additionally, some Pacific Island leaders, including the Prime Minister of PNG, Sir Michael Somare, and the President of Kiribati, Anote Tong, have publicly acknowledged the extent and severity of the problem in their respective countries.

However, many urgent issues remain to be addressed. Pacific nations must introduce and implement laws that prosecute perpetrators of violence and provide redress for survivors. They must provide adequate services for survivors and their children, including safe houses for women escaping from violence.

Pacific nations urgently need to lift the quotas of women in parliament.
The region has some of the lowest numbers of women parliamentarians in the world. Women parliamentarians understand and can help address the needs of women in the community. Increasing the numbers of women in parliament will demonstrate to Pacific communities that women can have a role in making decisions that affect them, and that all women deserve respect.

Notes:

In the Solomon Islands, a 2008 Family Health & Safety Study found that two in three women between the ages of 15-49 had been abused in their lifetime through physical partner violence and/or sexual partner violence. 55% of women had been forced into sex against their will. (PNG Institute of Medical Research 1994)

In Papua New Guinea, 67 per cent of wives had been beaten by their husbands. (PNG Law Reform Commission 1992), and 60% of men interviewed reported having participated in
"lainap" (gang rape) at least once. (PNG Institute of Medical Research 1994).

In Samoa, according to a 2005 World Health Organisation Multi-Country Study on Women's Health and Domestic Violence Against Women, 65 per cent of all respondents reported violence by someone other than a partner since the age of 15 years. 85% of women physically abused by their partner had never asked any formal agency for help. Of these, 86% stated that they had not done sought help because they thought such abuse "normal", or not serious enough to seek help.

ENDS