Violence against women still high

PAPUA New Guinea is rated poorly in the world when it comes to violence against women issues, Digicel PNG Foundation chief executive officer Beatrice Mahuru says.
She said compared to 186 countries, the country had a very poor record on issues pertaining to violence against women and women’s education.
“Addressing women’s welfare is vital but this does not mean we disregard men,” she said.
She urged parents to be positive role models and to lead by example because young people watched and learnt from them.
She said the foundation had been sponsoring programmes in the country. It had spent K27.2 million since its inception in 2008 on projects and programmes.
The foundation sponsors projects in education, health, community building and the campaign against domestic violence.
It has helped projects for people living with special needs, she said.
“Digicel PNG Foundation believes in the beneficiaries of the sponsorships and it is hopefully of the positive impacts the programmes and projects have brought to the wider communities in PNG,” she said.
Mahuru urged recipients of these services through its partnership programmes to use the incentives to prosper and improve their lives.
“You can be somebody if you put your mind to it,” she said.