Women in Lae, Papua New Guineas second largest city, are staging a sit in protest against the appalling trend of violence against women and lack of respect from men.
Women from all walks of life started gathering at the Sir Ignatius Kilage Stadium this week (Feb 26) all dressed in red, black and white.
The protest, tagged ‘Women Arise Movement,’ follows the recent rape of a nurse from the Angau Memorial Hospital and the burning alive of a young mother in Western Highlands who was accused of practicing sorcery.
Coordinator of the protest, Sarah Todd, told the NBC Dabai programme that women have had enough and are demonstrating the urgency for all to act and make tougher penalties for perpetrators of such violence.
“This is the arising of women right throughout the nation. We are hoping that the government of the day will hear our sentiments that this has got to stop.”
Minister for Community Development in PNG, Loujaya Toni, was present to receive the women’s call for action plan.
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