The Papua New Guinea Olympic Committee (PNGOC) in its capacity as the Papua New Guinea Commonwealth Games Association (PNGCGA) will be staging a Gender Equity Workshop on the 18th of May.
The meeting will be with its forty member and affiliate National Federations in attendance along with guests from various organizations specializing in gender equity, including Femili PNG, World Vision, the Department of Community Development and Religion, and the Department of Attorney General and Justice.
This groundbreaking event, funded by the Commonwealth Games Federations Game Changer grant will enable the PNGCGA, through the workshop, to demonstrate the PNGCGA’s commitment to social responsibility, human rights advocacy, education, and positive lifestyles, specifically targeting individuals involved in sports.
This includes elderly people, women, boys, girls, children, and those with disabilities who may be affected by gender-based abuse. With the rising trend of gender-based violence in many communities, the most vulnerable individuals bear the brunt of these abuses and therefore, the key theme of the workshop is to create a better and safer community for children.
The workshop aims to develop an action plan that utilizes sports in partnership with invited organizations to address and create a safer community for children. This action plan is intended to be integrated into the annual calendars of the 40 National Federations from 2024 to 2029.
PNGOC Secretary General, Desmond Kaviagu stressed the importance of the workshop in identifying referral pathways with participating organizations to assist victims of gender-based violence.
He expressed gratitude to the Commonwealth Games Federation for their support and the participating gender based experts in PNG.
In addition, Iammo Gapi Launa, OBE, board member and Chair of the PNGOC Gender Equity Committee, also highlighted that the workshop aims to bring about a positive change in the operations of National Federations, as they join forces with the Papua New Guinea community to build a better and safer nation for everyone through the platform of sports.