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| PNG: Women Slam Gun Culture |
2005-07-05 17:03:00 <Nicole Gooch> |
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PNG: Women Slam Gun Culture
Tuesday: July 5, 2005
Women in Goroka yesterday laid the blame squarely on politicians and
businessmen the harm that illegal guns cause to many communities
nationwide.
About 50 women representing all church denominations and the eight
districts in the Eastern Highlands province staged a march to the
University of Goroka, where the Guns Summit is being held, and presented
a petition outlining the problems guns cause to Internal Security
Minister Bire Kimisopa.
The women have demanded for immediate government action.
Carrying placards with words like "Women Against Violence", "Guns Not My
Traditional Culture" and "We Want Safer Community", the mothers led by
outspoken women leader Julie Soso declared their support for the summit.
Likewise, they demanded that action to be taken on its findings and
recommendations of the summit because women and children have suffered a
lot because of loose firearms circulating in the community, The National
reports. "We have suffered a lot because of these guns ... we are used
to bows and arrows, but this newly-introduced culture has destroyed us,"
Ms Soso told Mr Kimisopa, National Guns Committee Chairman Jerry
Singirok and other leaders who received the petition outside the new UOG
auditorium where the summit is being held.
"Many men have died because of the use of guns in conflicts. Many women
have become widows because their husbands have died in these fights.
Children do not go to school. People flee their villages and become
refugees in other peoples' land."
"Women are pack raped at gun point ... some women have contracted
HIV/AIDS virus because of these gang rapes."
"A useless person all of a sudden becomes powerful because he is armed."
"These are the people who cause rape and incest in our communities.
There is no respect for traditional village leadership anymore."
Ms Soso said guns were not manufactured, but brought into the
communities by politicians and businessmen to arm their tribesmen to
chase their dreams and aspirations ... and women and children suffered
the most from it.
Ms Soso said although they know it would be difficult for a total ban on
guns, they want a gun amnesty declared in 2006 so all loose firearms
will resurface and surrendered to the authorities.
On receiving the petition, Mr Kimisopa said illegal guns were a serious
issue in the country and the government intends to address it once and
for all.
He said the government and its development partners are committed to
find an immediate solution........THE NATIONAL/ PNS
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