Solomons' domestic violence increasing

Updated January 19, 2009 11:59:21

The Solomon Islands National Council of Women has called for a coordinated effort from government and non government offices, to address domestic violence.

Presenter: Campbell Cooney
Speaker: Ella Kauhue; General Secretary of the Solomon Islands' National Council of Women

KAUHUE: The program started on the 25th up until 10th of December but straight after looking at what has been in the media violence is increasing. When they talk about domestic violence, you talk about violence against children, violence in general, it's just increasing in Solomon Islands, especially in Honiara.

COONEY: Are there more instances of it happening that you're hearing about than are perhaps being reported in the media?

KAUHUE: Yes a survey was conducted by the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs last year and the report was I think was launched last year. And 64 per cent of individuals, women who had been interviewed said that they've experienced domestic violence at one time in their lives. So 64 per cent is very high and really you cannot rely on statistics itself, but also perception. I mean you look around you and you see a lot of activities sort of just build up ready for violence to occur. A lot of things are happening here like illegal selling of alcohol, beer, illegal manufacturing of liquor. These are really increasing in Honiara despite of the good work that the police are doing here.

COONEY: So the problem is worse in Honiara than it is in the rest of Solomon Islands?

KAUHUE: The thing is I would say yes and no because one case just before Christmas was from Malaita where a father had bashed his son to death and this kind of violence that I'm talking about here, we are talking about Honiara because we are here. But it's also increasing in other islands.

COONEY: What can be done to try and turn this around, what would you like to see done?

KAUHUE: What can I say about that? Maybe what I can say here is that the challenge here seems to be lack of an effective justice system because if the justice system in Solomon Islands is strong enough to protect women and children I think cases of domestic violence against those two would be, it would go down but it would decrease. It's really going up this time.

COONEY: What's the National Council of Women hoping or planning to do over the next 12 months to try and address this issue?

KAUHUE: Well the National Council of Women is mandated to address issues affecting women and we are very good at that. I think some of you might have heard us talking too much about too many issues affecting women and children. What we are looking forward to now is to look forward to government so that the government can invest more in the Ministry of Women, Youth and Children Affairs so that the ministry can work with non government organisations, especially women to address this issue that is affecting the whole society, domestic violence. As long as the government invest in that ministry organisations like the National Council of Women can do more.

COONEY: You've got the ministry on side, what about the whole of government from the Prime Minister Dr Sikua downwards, are they supportive of your efforts do you feel?

KAUHUE: Well I'm not really sure about being supportive because in their current policy it's stated very clearly that the government will assist the Solomon Islands National Council of Women. Since the government came into power we received very little grants from the Ministry of Women, we get support from the Permanent Secretary and the staff and the Minister, but in general I don't think the government is really on to supporting us. So what we are going to do now is just to keep on talking, telling the government that it cannot close its eyes to domestic violence where it affects women, youth and children of this country.

COONEY: So you're just going to keep hounding them, would that be a good way of describing it until they do something?

KAUHUE: That's right.