Rapid Assessment of Institutional Readiness to Implement Gender-Based Violence and HIV Services in Five Provinces of Papua New Guinea - Ione Lewis and Christine Bradley 

In Papua New Guinea women are prone to all sorts of violence; it can be physical, sexual, psychological and emotional abuse. These abuses pose threat to their lives and increase their risk of getting HIV. 
Men having Sex with Men (MSM), young boys and transgendered are also at the risk of HIV transmission in terms of sexual violence.

To understand the nature of gender-based violence in relation to both men and women and in their act of increasing HIV transmission an assessment had been carried out by UNDP and Asia Pacific Coalition on Male Sexual Health (APCOM) in 2010. It revealed that there are all forms of gender based violence and victims and survivors may have also experienced accusation of sorcery, tribal warfare and discrimination in relation to their HIV status.

In 2011-2012 National AIDS Council Secretariat with the support of UNDP conducted an in depth study in those working in areas of gender based violence and HIV services. This study is called Rapid Assessment of Institutional Readiness to Implement Gender-Based Violence and HIV services in five provinces of Papua New Guinea. These provinces are Western Highlands, Simbu, East Sepik, Madang and Autonomous Region of Bougainville.The major key findings show that there is uneven performance by services due to lack of effective measures of accountability;

• Both gender-based violence and HIV services are evenly distributed and are not always accessible to people who need them.
•   The key gender based violence and HIV services in health, justice and social sectors are under resourced with staff which reduced their capacity to provide effective services.                 

•    There are gaps in the services or no services at all survey for Men who are having sex with men (MSM), transgender people, sex workers and 

•    Orphans and vulnerable children even though they are at greater risk of gender based violence and HIV than the general community.

•    Effective response to GBV and HIV were found in some provinces due to active advocacy and referral networks operating between local agencies

These findings will be used as a policy guide to developing better standard in PNG.