The Department for Community Development & Religion (DFCDR), through the National Gender-Based Violence Secretariat (NGBVS), has committed a total of K1.8 million to support the implementation of Provincial Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Action Plans across Papua New Guinea.

The funding allocation will see 18 provinces each receive K100,000, totalling K1.8 million, following their participation in the National GBV Provincial Plenary held in Port Moresby in November 2025.

Invitations were extended to all 22 provinces; however, 18 provinces responded by submitting their provincial GBV workplans and attending the plenary.

These workplans are directly aligned to the indicators and priorities outlined in the National Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based Violence 2026–2035, ensuring a coordinated and consistent national approach.

This commitment follows the successful plenary, where participating provinces worked collaboratively to finalize their 2026 GBV Action Plans and budgets, aligned to the National Strategy.

The allocation of funding marks a significant transition from planning to action, ensuring provinces are equipped with the necessary resources to implement targeted and coordinated GBV interventions at the local level.

The funding will support Implementation of provincial GBV priority action, strengthening coordination and service delivery at provincial and community levels, rollout of community-based prevention and awareness programmes, and Support for frontline response services for survivors.

This investment reinforces the Government’s commitment to ensuring that provincial plans are not only developed but effectively implemented to deliver tangible results in communities.

During the plenary, the National GBV Secretariat (NGBVS) emphasized that this support represents a critical step forward, enabling provinces to commence implementation of their action plans and drive meaningful change at the community level.

The National GBV Provincial Plenary brought together Provincial GBV Focal Points, Community Development Advisors, and key partners to strengthen coordination, enhance accountability, and align provincial efforts under the national strategy.

The plenary will be held annually with provinces and their planners to help achieve the targets of the National Strategy 2026–2035, with the next meeting scheduled for later this year.

Provinces that did not participate in this round will be considered in the next phase once their action plans are developed in line with the National Strategy and presented at the next plenary.

This commitment reflects a shared national vision of zero tolerance for GBV and strengthens provincial leadership in building safer communities nationwide.