At 4am on Friday 9th August, a woman was found dead in Ramu Village, Papua New Guinea. She was preparing to go work at the Oil Palm plantation, when she was brutally raped, murdered and her body dumped in a nearby village garden.  Her female colleague escaped with a knife wound to her back.   

Judy Muliap, Soroptimist International’s national representative for Papua New Guinea, condemned the killing as “barbaric and inhuman” and explained that polygamy was often the main cause of such brutal murders.  She called on the Madang Provincial Police Commander to intervene and to ensure that the perpetrator/s be apprehended and prosecuted.  Ms Muliap, who lives in Ramu, also highlighted the connection between these attacks and illegal activities that are prevalent in local squatter settlements, such as illegal alcohol sales, drugs, gambling and brothels. She has called on police to carry out their duties in enforcing the law efficiently and effectively.

This is just the latest in a catalogue of disturbing incidents of violence against women in Papua New Guinea. Earlier this year, the Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition shared their deep concern regarding the recent escalation of sorcery-related violence and killings in PNG. 

In February 2013, a young woman accused of sorcery was reportedly burned to death in front of a large crowd at Mt Hagen. On 4th April 2013, Helen Rumbali, a woman human rights defender and the leader of the South Bougainville Women’s Federation, was abducted, tortured and executed in public after being accused of sorcery without any access to justice.

The police were reported to be present during the killing but failed to intervene to prevent her death. Most recently on 10th April, Amnesty International reported that a woman and her two daughters were held captive and tortured in Lopele in Bana District, Southern Bougainville. At great risk, women human rights defenders in PNG are working hard to protect the rights of those accused of sorcery.

Gender inequality and violence against women in Papua New Guinea (PNG) is pervasive and sorcery-related violence is part of this broader context. The number of victims is increasing and prosecutions are often hampered by lack of support from authorities and victims’ fears of retaliation. In recent months the PNG government repealed the Sorcery Act, which enabled perpetrators of violence to claim ‘mitigating factors’ when sorcery was involved. While the repeal of this Act is a welcome step forward, the PNG Government also extended the use of the death penalty, which has caused concern among human rights organisations. 

Soroptimist clubs in the region are taking action on violence against women in various ways. In May, the three Soroptimist clubs in PNG (SI Lae, SI Ramu and SI Port Morseby)  took part in the Haus Krai – House of Mourning – national protest against violence. In Ramu, over 500 school children and women marched along the Madang highway to voice their concerns over the escalating violence on women and girls.  All the children, women and some men wore black and white ribbon to mark the victims and survivors of domestic violence.  SI Ramu organized the program in partnership with Ramu Agri Industries Ltd.   

There have been talks in local centres and schools to educate and empower community members about gender violence, the effects, the mindsets of those committing the crimes and how these need to be changed.

Last year, SI Ramu set up a Community Resource Centre providing a mobile library and education facilities for children and young people. Working with other local organisations and with support from Soroptimists in Western Australia, the aim is to help improve standards of education, improving opportunities, changing attititudes and challenging social problems such as drug and alcohol addiction, which are linked to violence.

 

Soroptimists are putting pressure on their government for greater action and more serious action, in order to stop this horrendous cycle of violence.

AWID is calling on members to write to PNG government officials requesting that they take concrete steps to end violence against women and to bring the perpetrators of sorcery related violence to justice. Soroptimist International are in the process of drafting a letter and we encourage others to follow in our path.

Photo: Top – SI Port Moresby at the Haus Krai protest in May, Middle – Soroptimist Judy Muliap holds a talk on the effects of violence against women and girls to a senior primary school class, Bottom – SI Ramu’s Community Resource Centre.