Women not safe to move freely: Leader

IT is no longer safe for women and girls to move around freely in their communities without being attacked, a community leader says.
Naomi Bola, from the Taranga Ward in the Gazelle District of East New Britain, attended a Department of Justice and Attorney-General crime prevention programme recently.
She said at Taranga and Kuraip, women and girls feared being raped or attacked so they walked around in groups to protect each other.
Bola said the areas were so neglected with villagers forced to use tools to fix roads.
“It is therefore difficult for police to patrol the wards causing the crime rates to escalate.”
Bola accused youths under the influence of alcohol, homebrew and marijuana of causing problems and not caring about the consequences of their actions.
She thanked the Kerevat prison officers for explaining offences and the penalties at the event.
“This information is helpful to our youths and people,” Bola said.
She vowed not to give up the fight against crime despite what was happening.
“I am a positive woman and I believed that one day things will work out for women and young girls,” she said.