27 Jul 2011

Vanuatu's Women in Crisis group calls for review of Family Protection Act

2:22 pm on 27 July 2011

A women's rights activist in Vanuatu is calling for a review of the Family Protection Act.

The controversial Act was signed into law in 2008 and the government has recently commissioned the theatre group Wan Smol Bag to produce a film to promote it.

The Chairwoman of the NGO Women against Crime, Jenny Ligo says while violence against women and children appears to be increasing, she believes many of the country's leaders are failing to show respect for the Act.

"If this is the way it is going to go, I for one am calling for a review of the law itself. And I don't want to see it paralysed and continue putting more effort and money into it and people won't respect it. So I will call for a review on that law now."

Jenny Ligo says she is also worried the government has not been using foreign aid funding to effectively implement the Family Protection Act.