A Daily Struggle - Violence Against Women in Public Spaces in Papua New Guinea

Picture Source: http://www.vladsokhin.com/work/crying-meri/

Violence against women in public spaces is an endemic problem, particularly in developing countries. As noted by Neupane, this is because public transport allows males to remain anonymous, which in turn results in high levels of abuse with minimal legal ramifications (Neupane, 2014). The high rates of sexual violence on public transport in developing countries reduces the freedom of movement for women, and limits their ability to access services and education (Neupane, 2014). This form of sexual harassment has been a daily occurrence for women and girls in Papua New Guinea. Due to the lack of action by the Government of Papua New Guinea, non-government organisations have played a key role in providing alternative public transport for women.

The crime rate in Papua New Guinea is one of the highest worldwide, and women - who make up half of Papua New Guinea’s population - are considered to be the most at risk in the world (World Bank, 2013). Sexual violence experienced by women in public spaces range from unwanted sexual remarks to rape. In Port Moresby, 87 per cent of women have reported that they have been sexually or physically assaulted or threatened on buses in 2014 (UN Women, 2015). This includes time they were in the vehicle, waiting at bus stops, or riding in taxis (UN Women, 2015). As a result of the high risk of sexual assault, and limited transport alternatives, mothers have kept their daughters home from school (UN Women, 2015).

The Government of Papua New Guinea has acknowledged that violence against women in public spaces is a serious issue, however little action has been taken; as a result, non-government organisations have played a pivotal role in addressing the issue. In 2010, UN Women launched the “Safe Cities Free of Violence against Women and Girls” program in Port Moresby, with the objective of increasing the mobility of women in Port Moresby without the fear of sexual violence. The Meri Seif Bus was created by UN Women and the Ginigoada Bisnis Development Foundation as part of the Safe Cities program, and over 400 women have been using the service daily. The bus operates during peak hour, and is for women only. Six million Papua New Guinean Kina was provided by the Australian Government and UN Women Australian National Committee to support the program (UN Women, 2014). The initiative has been hugely successful, with its operations expanding to other areas in Papua New Guinea this year. Other initiatives have been implemented such as cash-less ticketing and improved lighting at bus stops (UN Women, 2015).

Despite the positive impact of programs in Papua New Guinea in addressing the issue of sexual violence against women in public spaces, the issue remains a cross-cutting development issue that needs to be addressed by governments. Violence against women on public transport is still endemic in countries such as India and Nepal, who are yet to benefit from programs such as the Meri Seif Bus established in Papua New Guinea.

Note: the image accompanying this article was taken by Vlad Sokhin, while working on the “Crying Meri” project. To learn more about violence against women in Papua New Guinea, please use this link: http://www.vladsokhin.com/work/crying-meri/.