Research unlocks PNG aspirations for change
A CQUniversity research project to understand gender-based violence impacts in Papua New Guinea has moved Australian and international practitioners, as Public Health Lecturer Dr Sabi Kaphle shared findings from the innovative project at a global conference.
The Melbourne-based academic was keynote speaker at the Global STOP Domestic Violence and Asia Pacific New Directions in Juvenile Justic Reform Conference held at Cairns in February.
These two conferences brought together more than 200 professionals, academics, activists, advocates, and survivors from around the world to address the issue of domestic violence and juvenile justice, and Dr Kaphle said it was an exciting opportunity to share the project.
“Our action research worked to identify and build aspirations of young people in Papua New Guinea, and across six months we worked to design, implement and evaluate leadership processes for community-based actions,” she said.
Co-designing with 25 university students in PNG, the CQU team identified pervasive gender inequalities and discriminatory practices in the community, and supported these ‘champions of change’ to drive social transformation, and empower others in their communities.
“With my colleague Dr Cathy O’Mullan, we saw the importance of education and awareness-raising initiatives, and severe gaps in availability and access to these across PNG,” she explained.
“Sustainable development and increased gender equality requires concerted efforts to improve educational infrastructure, enhance teacher training, and promote inclusive curricula that reflect the diverse cultural and linguistic contexts of PNG, supported by broader structural reforms and policy interventions to address systemic inequalities.”
Dr Kaphle is a founding member of the Multicultural Women's Alliance Against Family Violence, a Victorian initiative to support and empower families to stay safe.
“Attending the conferences also provided a platform for exchanging ideas, sharing best practices, and collaborating on strategies to prevent and respond to domestic violence,” Dr Kaphle explained.
“There is still much work to do to raise awareness about the impacts of domestic violences global, and advocates for systems and policy changes, and increased resources to protect survivors.”
Dr Kaphle has also recently spoken to SBS about the project, to mark World NGO Day on Tuesday 27 February, listen to her interview on the SBS news page.
