People must to unite, stop violence against women

VIOLENCE against women and girls is one of the challenging social issues in the country.
All forms of violence strikes women and girls from all kinds of background and from all ages.
According to recent UN report, PNG is one of the most violent places in the world for women and girls.
More than 80 per cent of our women and girls suffer from violence. It happens at work, on the street or at home.
It requires innovative and proactive approaches to deal with it. Although frameworks such as the sustainable development goals, which includes a specific target on ending violence against women and girls, offer huge promise, but is yet to bring real significant changes due to so many challenges including funding shortfalls.
That is why partnership in education and awareness programs are very important steps to address this issue.
Partnership can be the best tool to address this issue despite of funding shortfalls.
Every opportunity that is available should be utilised as a tool to educate and bring awareness on gender-based violence.
Institutions and organisations such as churches, NGOs, schools and other government agencies must work together in partnership to address this trend in the country.
We need more education and awareness programmes to ensure gender equality is realised.
Boys should be educated at an earlier age to respect girls and women.
Advocacy and awareness should be carried out at all levels to educate men to respect women.
PNG women are no longer housewives and babysitters. Gone are times when women sat at home and cooked food and do other household chores.
Women nowadays are multi-tasked. They know how to manage everything … and are usually good at work-life balance.
It’s time for us men  to respect them as equal partners in development.
Therefore, we need collective and collaborative effort to realise gender equality it the country.
Let us all work together to promote safe, free and fair PNG for our women.

Nehemiah Zerna Butu
Lae