Transparency International Vanuatu: Family Protection Bill Statement

Transparency International wishes to warn the Government that further delaying the vote on the Family Protection Bill (a law which amongst other things deals with managing violence against women) will create a damaging image for Vanuatu, which might jeopardise its chance to obtain access to the Millennium Challenge Fund.

Madagascar just signed with the Millennium Challenge Fund aid for USD110 Million.

Many studies have shown that the countries which deny human rights, especially for women, are not doing well in governance and in implementing a fair democratic system.

Last week there were rumors that the bill might, after six years of consultation, be again put on the back burner after the intervention of Chiefs and back benchers.

This bill has received the most ever consultation in a time when many bills are passed without MPs having the time to read them.

Vanautu's biggest human rights problem, according to the Country Reports on Human Rights practices prepared by the US government for the US House of Representatives, is the denial of women's rights. They see Vanautu as a backward country where women´s human rights are not respected.

The report reads as follows:

Traditional attitudes regarding male dominance and customary familial roles hampered women's participation in economic and political life. There were 2 women in the 52-member Parliament. There was one woman in the Cabinet, appointed in December.

Violence against women, particularly wife beating, was common, although no accurate statistics exist. There are no specific laws against domestic violence; courts occasionally prosecuted offenders using common law assault as a basis for prosecution. However, most cases of violence against women, including rape, went unreported because women, particularly in rural areas, were ignorant of their rights or feared further abuse. Although rape is a crime, with a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, spousal rape is not cited specifically in the law, and police frequently were reluctant to intervene in what were considered domestic matters. There were no government programs to address domestic violence, and media attention to the abuse was limited. There were some facilities for abused women run by churches and other NGOs.

While women have equal rights under the law, they are only slowly emerging from a traditional culture characterized by male dominance, a general reluctance to educate women, and a widespread belief that women should devote themselves primarily to childbearing.

The majority of women entered into marriage through "bride-price payment," a practice that has encouraged men to view women as property. Women also were barred by tradition from land ownership. Many female leaders viewed village chiefs as major obstacles to social, political, and economic rights for women. Women interested in running for public office received encouragement and help from the NGO Vanuatu Women in Politics."

What is it about this important legislation that has caused a six-year delay in implementing it, when it is common for other bills and even constitutional amendments to go through Parliament within days before being presented in Parliament with zero consultation?

Do the male leaders in this country think so little of their wives, daughters, sisters and wider families that they can genuinely justify any more delay?

Passing this bill is important not only to improve Vanuatu's image internationally, but also to remove the domestic shame of having refused to debate this legislation for more than six years.

Having seen in the media some of the reasons why Vanuatu failed to qualify to receive funds for the Millennium Challenge Fund, you should not be surprised if Vanuatu loses its eligibility to even qualify for this fund if this bill is not passed by Parliament.

All leaders must understand that Vanuatu, like all other countries, lives not isolated in its own sphere but is part of the democratic brotherhood of nations.

Vanuatu is only a signatory to numerous international conventions like CEDAW that require all citizens, including women, to be treated equally in law and to be protected by the country's law and leaders, not oppressed by them or relegated to second class citizens by them.