The Efficacy of Family Protection Orders in Papua New Guinea: The Applicants’ Perspective

TL;DR

This paper explores how effective family protection orders are in Papua New Guinea from the perspective of those who apply for them.

Contribution

The study provides new insights into the implementation and efficacy of family protection orders in a culturally diverse and low-income setting.

Findings

An increasing number of survivors applied for protection orders until the pandemic disrupted services.

The protection order regime in PNG is considered worthy of further consolidation and expansion.

The study used a mixed methods approach with over 200 interviews across seven locations in PNG.

Abstract

Family protection orders were introduced into Papua New Guinea (PNG) in 2014. This paper reports on the findings from a study that examined the uptake, implementation, and efficacy of the orders, in a pluralistic and diverse country where domestic, family, and sexual violence is widespread. Adopting a safety-first and collaborative approach, the mixed methods study included more than 200 interviews with 118 order applicants in seven locations across PNG. The results were promising, with an increasing number of survivors applying for orders until the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted justice services. The paper argues that although based on an externally developed model of intervention from high-income countries, the protection order regime in PNG is worthy of further consolidation and expansion.

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