Local Context Matters

Shabnam Hameed,Jan Breckenridge,Paula Bennett,Tracie Mafileo,Hennah Steven,Lalen Simeon

doi:10.1177/2158244016657142

Shabnam Hameed, Jan Breckenridge + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244016657142

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Abstract

There are high levels of family and sexual violence (FSV) in Papua New Guinea (PNG). Many businesses in PNG, like an increasing number of organizations worldwide, want to address the effects of FSV on their employees and operations to minimize human suffering and to maximize productivity. To date, a range of workplace strategies designed to address related forms of violence (FSV, domestic and family violence, sexual violence, intimate partner violence, violence against women, and gender-based violence) have been developed and implemented, albeit mainly in Western contexts. This article considers the extent to which these workplace strategies can or should be modified for workplaces in PNG. Findings from participatory action research undertaken with FSV service providers, advocates, businesses, and their employees in PNG strongly indicate that workplace strategies should be modified to reflect cultural and other contextual specificities. In particular, workplace strategies should reflect local understandings about what constitutes FSV, who may perpetrate and who may be victimized by FSV, and what supports are available to victims of FSV. It is important to note that while the supports examined are necessarily culturally and contextually specific to PNG, they have subsequently provided important insights relevant for workplace responses in other developing and industrialized countries, thereby extending the evidence base of possible workplace strategies generally.

Highlights

Background to the family and sexual violence (FSV) and theWorkplace in Papua New Guinea (PNG) ProjectIn 2014, select businesses in PNG who wanted to address the effects of FSV on their workplace approached the Business Coalition for Women (BCFW) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, to request the development of a model workplace FSV policy suitable to the PNG context
The project was jointly undertaken by researchers from the Gendered Violence Research Network (GVRN) at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Australia and researchers from the Pacific Adventist University located in Port Moresby, PNG, in partnership with the IFC and BCFW
The Workplace Strategies—Papua New Guinea project (Ethics Approval 24.14) was conducted between September and December 2014 and consisted of (a) a good practice review of workplace strategies that address the effects of FSV on workplaces (Hameed, 2014a) and (b) participatory action research undertaken with FSV advocates and service providers, and businesses and their employees in PNG (Hameed, 2014b) to develop a Model Policy for workplace response to FSV in PNG

Summary

Introduction

In 2014, select businesses in PNG who wanted to address the effects of FSV on their workplace approached the BCFW and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, to request the development of a model workplace FSV policy suitable to the PNG context. Researchers from the Gendered Violence Research Network (GVRN) at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) had previously developed DV rights and entitlements as part of the “Safe at Home, Safe at Work” (SAHSAW; n.d.-a) program for around 1.6 million workers in Australia and were keen to learn from PNG nationals how workplace strategies developed internationally could be adapted for the PNG context. This article discusses the key learnings from this process which included a good practice review of workplace strategies developed by 20 organizations in six countries (Australia, Canada, Fiji, Ireland, PNG, and the United States) and participatory action research undertaken in 2014. It is important to note that while the supports examined are necessarily culturally and contextually specific to PNG, they have subsequently provided important insights relevant for workplace responses in other developing and industrialized countries

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