By RODRICK DESURI
Auki
Many rural communities in North Malaita are still experiencing violence compromising the safety of women and girls.
Many of these incidents have not been reported to responsible authorities such as police, and are allowed to continue because serious actions have not been taken.
A concerned resident in North Malaita, Wilson Sifoinao said the issue of violence against women is serious and needs urgent action.
Sifoinao said this issue is growing among young couples to which alcohol is observed to be a catalyst.
He said a few cases have been reported to Auki police recently, but serious action has not been taken.
“We have many issues related to violence against women in our communities. All of them involve alcohol, which leads husbands to harming their wives.
“Sometimes, a husband uses a knife. This is serious and needs urgent action to be taken by responsible authorities,” he said.
He also said some cases were settled by the community policing task force within the communities.
“Many cases we settled in the community were led by the community policing task force, but we are still experiencing the issue increasing,” he said.
In December last year, the Ministry of Women, Youth, Children, and Family Affairs (MWYCFA) hosted a domestic violence workshop in Auki to train participants from different sectors to learn how to support victims of domestic violence.
They also set up a domestic violence counseling committee for Malaita Province.
The new committee is expected to play a key role in helping communities respond to domestic violence, offering guidance, protection, and support to those in need.
They are also expected to have a strong network to ensure survivors can access proper care and support.
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