Another significant event in Eastern Highlands Province drew hundreds of women for a ‘Speak out’ campaign on violence against women and children on May 14th, 2013. This same event was also observed by other women folks in other provinces in the country. These two days event was a lead up activity towards a nationwide Haus Cry which was spear headed by Women Arise.

In Goroka, Family Voice lead this event and this saw women groups from a number of districts in Goroka and local NGOs in and around the province attend this at the YC grounds. This initiative was organised by Eastern Highlands Family Voice in partnership with the Division for Community Development and the provincial women’s council.

Women from different villages and groups spoke up about burning issues that were affecting them in their communities. A lot of issues raised were on rape, domestic violence, access of pornography materials by students through mobile phones, adultery, and sorcery related cases.

A march planned for the 2-days activity did not go ahead as planned but was held on August 22nd 2013.  A petition on violence against women was also presented to a representative from the Governor’s office on that day.

To read this petition

A recent baseline community survey (BCS) carried out by Eastern Highlands Family Voice in the Unggai-Bena district revealed that the top ranking common issues affecting men, women and children in seven different communities were gambling, alcohol, drug, prostitution and sorcery.     

Unggai-Bena district has a population of about 58, 000 of which 1.4% of its population participated in this survey. Most of the communities make a living on subsistence farming thus contributing to a number of problems relating to finance. A surprisingly 84% said that they did not know basic information on HIV/AIDS. The villagers also indicated that one of their fears of living in the community was in relation to sorcery.

Female children said that in order to make their own income, they turned to prostitution whereas male children resort to drug use to release stress from family or personal problems. In men and women, alcohol and gambling were the issues that was disclosed during the survey. About 20.4%  of women spend their time and money on gambling and 23.8% of men claimed to take more alcohol during the festive period. At the end of the day, all this greatly contributes to domestic violence in families.

The effects of the highest ranking issues for women, men, female children and male children are related and bring about the same problems. From this survey, Family Voice has drawn recommendations and the following training and awareness programs will be scheduled for these communities; adult literacy training, positive discipline training for parents, awareness on family values and many others. There are a number of life skill training that will be carried out as well. Eastern Highlands Family Voice strives for a happy, healthy and harmonious family unit and supports this kind of training to make a change in people’s lives in their various communities.