By Sharlyne Eri – EMTV News, Port Moresby
Community leaders in Morata have signed an agreement to advocate against Gender-Based Violence and HIV in their community. Today (December 17), they signed a partnership certificate with the Population Services International PNG (PSI), to use the SASA program to support this change in Morata.
SASA, which stands for Start, Awareness, Support, Action, is a primary prevention method focused on a collective effort in preventing violence against women, girls and children in Papua New Guinea.
Today, Morata residents showed their commitment to work together to make Morata a safe place. The suburb is known for its notoriety and having had enough, the residents are now rising to change this perception.
Morata Leaders’ Chairman, John Yoko, said violence against women was like a disease affecting communities. He said he would take it upon himself to make sure perpetrators of such violence were dealt with by the law. He called for support from other community leaders and youths in Morata to embrace the SASA program and work towards change.
PSI PNG country director, Dr Curt von Boguslawski, said he was passionate about the program and urged Morata residents to work together to eradicate pressing issues within their communities.
SASA is a notable, evidence-based, primary prevention model and aligns with the National GBV Strategy to prevent and respond to violence.
PSI will be working with key stakeholders including the Government, Provincial Administrations, the Family Sexual Violence Action Committee and the media, to implement and measure the efficacy of SASA in the PNG context.
