Eriko Fufurefa

Violence against women in the Highlands is everyday business. Killing women, torturing women, wife bashing, it’s everyday business.

The women who come from urban settings, they can come get help, but in the rural or remote areas they cannot get help. With the geography, they are so far away and so, they can’t access our services.

Over 90% of women are affected by violence. It’s ongoing, everyday business for us here in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea.

Men think they own women, that only men should make decisions, that only men should take the lead and the women should only follow.

Here, the women can access basic counselling, receive healthcare from their injuries, and some support. Often when someone dies in the Highlands, a woman is accused of sorcery, of being responsible. So they’ll lock her in the house, sometimes kill her.

We also need to empower men to become the solution. Currently, only men listen to other men. This is our culture. So it’s very important we develop male leaders to speak about ending violence against women. Otherwise, I’m afraid this issue will never change.

I was survivor of violence myself. I was nearly killed by my husband. So I started this organisation almost 20 years, so I could help other women.

With more funding we can help more women in remote areas, provide training so they can also protect themselves, talk about and fight for their rights.

UN Women supports extraordinary community organisations like this, in alignment with best-practice development methodology to resource and empower local organisations, who are in and of the community.