Bolder approach for violence needed

THE rise in the incidence of violence against women, in particular domestic violence-related deaths, means that the call for justice to prevail can no longer be ignored, an official says.
The Family and Sexual Violence Action Committee national programme coordinator Marcia Kalinoe said violence against women and children in PNG was pervasive, came in many forms and was multi-dimensional.
“Every year, we hear about disturbing accounts of intimate partner and domestic violence-related deaths, yet there is no access to justice. This calls for a bolder and persistent approach.”
The One Billion Rising campaign began on Valentine’s Day on Feb 14.
“As the world celebrates love, relationships, friendships and romance with red roses and cards with endearments on Valentine’s Day, what started off as a dance revolution to end all forms of violence against women and children, will take centre stage in more than 100 countries around the world.” The campaign is the biggest mass action to end violence against women and girls.
The campaign began on Valentine’s Day in 2012 as a call to action based on the staggering statistic that one in three women “will be beaten or raped during her lifetime”.
That number is equivalent to one billion women and girls.
Kalinoe said that in a country where the political representation of women was zero, and two to three women were suffering with limited or zero access to justice, “the call to rise up and take action to see results can no longer be ignored”.
“It is time for men and women to wake up to the call and rise up for justice, to see that women and children who are victims or survivors of violence have access to the justice and that perpetrators of violence pay for their actions.”