PNG women make history in New York

Two extraordinary women's rights activists from Papua New Guinea (PNG) recently made history in New York when for the first time, their government was held to account for the staggering rates of violence against women in PNG.

Tapora and Sarah are women’s rights champions in a land where women are frequently regarded as second class citizens at best; raped as retribution in tribal conflicts at worst.

With the help and generosity of Amnesty International supporters, Tapora and Sarah attended a United Nations (UN) assembly in July, where the PNG Government had to report back to the UN on steps it has taken to protect the rights of women.

From the seat of global diplomacy, Sarah and Tapora spoke frankly about their government’s systematic failure to protect women and girls from harrowing rates of sexual and gender-based violence.
 

What happened in New York?

There were encouraging words from the PNG Government at the United Nations - and a commitment to introducing laws addressing domestic violence and the funding of safe houses for women.

However, today, there is still no law specifically against domestic violence. Police themselves are often part of the problem: telling victims that domestic violence is simply a "family issue". And there is still no proper state funding for women’s shelters and emergency services, so it’s left to charities and churches to help women fleeing violence.

We still have a long way to go to turn words in action. But we wouldn’t be here at all were it not for the sustained courage of these women and Amnesty International supporters. Together, we ensured when that moment came, we didn’t get more of the same unchallenged excuses from government officials. We got the truth.

Don't let the momentum stop

We must take advantage of these momentous occasions and increase our efforts to Stop Violence Against Women in the Pacific.  As the only international human rights organisation working in the Pacific we are asking you to join us once again in supporting human rights defenders on the ground who are living with horrific violence every day. 

Please make a donation to allow us to stand in solidarity with our Pacific neighbours and support the women's rights movement in PNG.

Together, we can ensure that their voices are not only heard today, but that they always have a voice at home and on a global stage.

Click here to learn more about our work to Stop Violence Against Women.