by Neville Choi – EM TV News, Port Moresby
Wednesday this week, was the International Day of speaking out against Violence Against Women. A day signified by the ‘white ribbon’.
While organisations in the Nation’s Capital commemorated the day with events, messages of awareness, and a commemorative dinner at Parliament House, workers from company Oil Search Limited’s project sites in the Highlands, also commemorated the day.
Both women, and men, staged an early morning march on Wednesday, to spread the message that the violence being perpetrated against women and children in the country today, must stop.
Brandishing signs which read “Stopim Pasin bilong Paitim Meri” (Stop the practice of beating women), and chanting “Stop the Violence”, the Oil Search Limited community made a strong stance with their walk.
“In PNG, we have a culture that men usually do not treat women well, so this walk was about ending violence against women. I was a good gesture to show the Oil Search Community and the world at large, to show that violence against women is not good,” said Graduate Project Engineer Smith Ano.
There was also recognition of the men who took part in the walk.
“I think it just showcases a positive approach that Papua New Guinean educated men are taking in taking a stand against all of this violence that our women in PNG are going through.
“Most of the men who are walking are educated men, so its good to see that at least with them being supporting of this cause, it is going to go a long way,” says another Graduate Project Engineer, Zamaing Masibameng.
