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File Photo: The first Special Parliamentary Committee hearing on Gender-Based Violence at the APEC Haus.
For the last year, UNDP has been supporting the Special Parliamentary Committee on Gender-Based Violence with technical advice and logistical assistance through the EU funded UN Spotlight Initiative on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls. The Committee has been active in using its oversight powers to review the existing work of key government bodies, to identify challenge and provide recommendations from change.
From 3-4 March, 2022, the Committee held its second public hearing, which was used to call on Government officials to provide an update on their activities since the Committee’s first hearing in May 2022. Following the first hearing, with UNDP support, the Committee produced a historic report on GBV which was tabled in Parliament in August 2021 and included 71 recommendations for government action. At the March 2022 hearing, the Committee asked questions regarding implementation of those recommendations. While some positive progress was reported, officials still made very clear that frontline health, policing, counselling, safe house and prosecution services are still severely under-staffed and under-funded.
Drawing on the testimony at the hearings, the Committee tabled a Final Report on the GBV Inquiry, with UNDP technical support. The report updated the recommendations to government, and offered concrete guidance for government officials to action.
The Committee requested to be made a permanent committee of the Parliament but this recommendation has not yet been actioned. UNDP is committed to supporting parliamentary partners during the 11th Parliament to progress this recommendation.
