Church leaders told to address violence

National

CHURCH leaders are the most trusted people in the community and they need to be equipped with the skills and knowledge to address gender-based violence, UN Women country representative Adekemi Nidieli says.
Nidieli told the HIV summit for church leaders in Port Moresby that 67 per cent of women in PNG faced one form of gender-based violence in their lifetime.
“In a country where 67 per cent of women suffer from GBV, men must be part of the solution,” she said.
“Plenty of church leaders are men and we have a role to play, and you have a role to play in ensuring that this must be addressed.
“The churches have a responsibility to raise awareness on this kind of harmful practices that have taken place.
“For example, the fact that men has paid a bride price for his wife does not mean that he has a right to beat her.
These are some issues that churches should be addressing.”