Governor for National Capital District and Chairman, Permanent Parliamentary Committee on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Powes Parkop calls for the constitutional foundation of gender equality and ending GBV during special Parliamentary session.
“The calls for gender equality and the eradication of gender-based violence is neither a new nor foreign concept.
It is a goal that forms the foundation of our state—the Independent State of Papua New Guinea. This is reflected in the legal framework of our National Constitution. The pursuit of gender equality and the elimination of GBV is firmly rooted in our Constitution, beginning with the Five National Goals and Directive Principles outlined in the Preamble,” Mr. Parkop stated.
He said the National Goal and Directive Principle No. 1, calls for INTEGRAL HUMAN DEVELOPMENT.
“We declare our first goal to be for every person to be dynamically involved in the process of freeing himself or herself from every form of domination and oppression so that each man or woman will have the opportunity to develop as a whole person in relation to others.”
The subsequent principles equally underscore the need for freedom and equality for all citizens, irrespective of gender.
National Goal and Directive Principle No. 2 calls for EQUALITY AND PARTICIPATION, asserting:
“We declare our second goal for every citizen to have equal opportunity to participate in and benefit from the development of our country.”
These National Goals and Directive Principles are further strengthened by the rights and freedoms provisions outlined in our Constitution, including:
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Section 35 – Right to Life (Fundamental Right)
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Section 36 – Freedom from Inhuman Treatment (Fundamental Right)
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Section 37 – Protection of the Law (Fundamental Right)
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Section 55 – Equality of All Citizens (Qualified Right)
“These profound provisions of our Constitution acknowledge the rights of all citizens to equality, to freedom from oppression, and full protection under the law.
Our Constitution is no ordinary law; it is the foundation of our nation. It is the social contract that binds us together as a country of a thousand tribes, 860 languages, and diverse cultures and traditions.
It embodies the hopes, dreams, and aspirations of our founding leaders, who envisioned that the well-being, prosperity, and success of our nation depended on ensuring that all people were free from all forms of discrimination, oppression and domination and that every citizen—regardless of tribe, color, creed, or gender—was able to participate fully and equally in the development of our country,” Governor Parkop said.
He said they have reinforced this commitment by signing and ratifying international conventions, including:
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The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as reflected in our signing of the United Nations Charter
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The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)
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Various other treaties aimed at promoting human rights and gender equality.
“Indeed, we have made great promises to all our people, including women and girls. However, the reality on the ground starkly contrasts with these constitutional and legal commitments.
The statistics on gender-based violence in our nation are grave, it has reached pandemic proportions, with the number of women and girls subjected to GBV increasing to about 3.5 million since we launched the National Strategy to respond to and end GBV in 2017.
In 2016, the figure stood at over 2,554,170—representing a rate of one woman subjected to violence every ten seconds,” he said.
He added that, recent national surveys show a staggering increase to 3,414,000 women and girls experiencing violence in one form or another.
“Economically, the cost to the nation in terms of lost work and productivity is estimated at nearly K18.64 billion in cost productive days per year.
These are not just numbers; they represent the pain, suffering, and trauma of countless individuals. This is an urgent call to action that we cannot ignore and must not delay,” Governor Parkop said.