PNG’s fight to end gender- based violence

**Warning, this article contains issues about domestic violence which may upset some people**

Gender equality and the idea that men and women are equal to one another is something that probably seems really simple and straightforward. After all, as it says in Genesis, both were created in the image of God, in His likeness.

Unfortunately, however, there are still areas of the world where this belief isn’t held. Places where not only are men and women not seen as equals, but violence against women remains commonplace.

Papua New Guinea (PNG) is currently one of those countries.

Violence against women in PNG is a huge problem. According to Human Rights Watch, a woman is beaten there every 30 seconds.

Now that’s an incredibly shocking statistic — but there is hope. In an attempt to challenge this situation, MAF PNG is working on a new partnership with a Christian organisation called Bread for the World. The aim is to shift the narrative of gender equality and bring an end to violence against women.

The collaboration uses a programme from the PNG Tribal Foundation called Senisim Pasin (‘Change Our Ways’), a community based training programme that aims to prevent gender-based violence.

With 7 out of 10 women in PNG subjected to gender-based violence in their lifetime, vast numbers of mothers, sisters, daughters and partners are endangered by such cruelty.

Fortunately, Change Our Ways is a national campaign specifically designed to change thinking and cultural attitudes about how woman are treated in PNG. It’s centred around a powerful documentary that invites men, women and children to ‘change their ways’.

The initiative takes a positive and innovative approach to the dark subject of gender-based violence, leaving participants wanting to be part of a movement that brings about change.

It’s built on the belief that PNG’s people can improve the way in which women are viewed in society, with positive change already taking place.

MAF supports this fast growing movement by helping people to access PNG’s remote and hard-to-reach areas with this powerful call for transformation.

The aim is to help stop violence against women, improve the way they’re regarded in society, and protect those wrongly accused of witchcraft and sorcery.

Last month, the first outreach took place in Pyarulama, where staff forged connections with the community by playing sports, holding survey groups to understand people’s needs, and showing the Change Our Ways film to more than 200 people. This was then followed by a discussion about gender-based violence and possible solutions.

At the end of the evening, 43 people signed the Change Our Ways pledge and took a step forward to help change their community — a really encouraging response!

MAF PNG, which will soon be returning to Pyarulama for a follow-up visit, will be taking the programme into five more remote areas later this year.

So, although it seems as if there’s still a long way to go — with the help of MAF — Change Our Ways is sowing seeds of change that are transforming PNG’s communities. Follow www.instagram. com/senisimpasin and help them become a catalyst for change!

If you’d like to uphold Change Our Ways and the work that MAF’s doing, please pray

For the 43 people who signed the pledge at Pyarulama. Pray too that others will follow their lead and that the things they’ve heard will stay with them and be taken to heart.

That the outreach programmes in the five new areas will change lives, with many more people signing up to the Change Our Ways pledge.

COUNTRY PAPUA NEW GUINEA CAPITAL PORT MORESBY POPULATION 10.2 MILLION*

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Please pray protection over the woman of PNG, and for an end to gender-based violence.