22 Aug 2013

Domestic violence in PNG best tackled with community groups

1:54 pm on 22 August 2013

An aid worker in Papua New Guinea says the best way to stop domestic violence is to work through established community groups.

Phillippe Allen, the acting country director of Oxfam, says he connects with local initiatives such as the Lifeline Women's Refuge and Papua Hahine, who have helped about 2,000 women this year.

Mr Allen says one aim is to give groups the confidence to express the same outrage as was seen in India when a woman was raped on a public bus.

There are 4000 men and boys being followed up through awareness programmes and Mr Allen says the Melanesian chiefly system must be used.

"You have to appreciate the particular melanesian way of doing things, access to networks, even simple things like languages, there's a lot of different languages in this country. By working with people from those provinces, from those communities, I think you're much better able to make a direct connection with people and get to the core of some of the problems we face."

Phillippe Allen says at least a third of the men they are tracking are aware that violence is wrong and against the law.