Women to discuss violence

DOMESTIC violence will be a key topic of discussion between women from two Catholic parishes this week as part of a friendship fellowship programme which began on Sunday in Port Moresby.
A total of 300 women from the Hahela parish in Buka, North Bougainville, Autonomous Region of Bougainville are in Port Moresby for the fellowship with women from the Sacred Heart parish at Hohola.
Fr Wesley Manu, from the Sacred Heart parish, said the programme was not just for women of the Catholic faith, but for all women who were interested to attend with the main aim to create friendship.
“Last year, during the lockdown, we received more than five cases of domestic violence in Hohola where the mothers had to run up here (Sacred Heart parish) for protection,” he said.
“These are not Catholic mothers but from different backgrounds.
“That’s why this programme is happening.
“The initiative came from the parish in Buka to work with the mothers here in Hohola.”
Fr Wesley said developing friendships and relationships would benefit people as they would be more willing and able to help each other.
“Women need to know each other so that they can share their experiences of violence and not keep it to themselves.”
Olita Mokela, from the Hahela parish in Buka, who is also a women’s human rights defender from the Nazareth Centre for Rehab, said the programme could help address some of the issues faced by women in their homes.
“Many times, men and children cause violence and this (forming of relationships and friendships) will help this programme help mothers,” Mokela said.
“This programme will continue and we will have an exchange programme which the women from the Hohola will come to visit our parish in Buka. We will continue this work which we have started here and the friendship.”