By Eric Haurupma – EM TV News, Port Moresby
Patron of Safe Motherhood Alliance, Dame Carol Kidu, said the implementation of legislations to protect safe motherhood is inconsistent.
Dame Carol said this is because the appropriate legislations and family planning policies only serve as benchmarks, and take time to be implemented right across the country.
With more emphasis being given to recognise the rights of women and children in order to eliminate all forms of violence against them, PNG’s Safe Motherhood Alliance has been playing a leading role in advocating for safe motherhood practises and maternal health issues in the country.
However, according to Dame Carol Kidu the onus is slowness in the implementation of the existing legislations and policies to safeguard the safe motherhood practises and maternal health.
She pointed out that many deaths in the country were pregnancy related because of the women’s negligence to access health services.
Dame Carol said from studies conducted, many women in the country have continuously been stigmatised and discriminated as a result of their own negligence to come out openly and disclose their problem.
Safe motherhood and maternal health practises advocate, Linda Babao O’Neill, said the country’s social taboo and cultural complexities are the main causes of ongoing stigma and discrimination and increasing unplanned pregnancies.
“Many young girls feel shy to come out openly and expose their problem because they are scared of being abused as opposed to the cultural taboos,” O’Neill said.
Meanwhile, the Safe Motherhood Alliance has taken a bold stand in fighting for the rights of these women and young girls who have been the victim of stigma and discrimination.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=skc49hy0yE8%3Ffeature%3Doembed%26wmode%3Dopaque%26showinfo%3D0%26showsearch%3D0%26rel%3D0
