#EVAW is everyone’s fight
LEST WE FORGET.
That day came and went ,Tuesday, November 25th - is one of the most important days within the global activism campaign towards ending gender based violence or GBV. Globally known as #16DaysOfActivismAgainstGenderBasedViolence and within the PNG Context, often referred to as #20DaysofActivism because of the inclusion of #UniversalChildrensDay on Novermber 20th, The activism is often carried out both as an awareness campaign on the human rights of all persons (women, children, people with disabilities, people affected by HIV/AIDS, etc;), and also a 'call to action' for whole of goverment and society committment towards ending violence.
Over the last month and during this period especially around the activism period a lot of harrowing stories have surfaced of women and girls, and children losing lives as result of the evils that we have allowed to thrive in society. The statistics that we see everday, through reports, the unreported, even that particular form of violence that is unseen and consistent and goes deeper (eg; emotional abuse) - tells us that society is crumbling beyond fixing or correcting the same way we have done so before. Criminal Offences - discrimationatory acts and human rights violations are happening as if there is no rule of law. There is generally no respect for human life and no respect for the rule of law. The voice of sanity that once shook these evil foundations have grown weary.
What is left to do?
This war, is no longer a war of specific people, organisations or goverment entities - it is a war that communities must fight, families must fight and individuals must be part of. We are all part of this fight to end violence.
Everyone one of us no matter where we are; what roles we have, whether at the workplace, at home, in schools, commuinities or even online is affected by some form of gender based violence and therefore has a role to play towards ending violence.
The CIMC through the Family and Sexual Violence Action Commitee has contributed immensely towards addressing family and sexual violence in PNG and we plan to continue this work under the focus area of Advocacy and Communications.
