Papua New Guinea: Courage in the Chaos: Finding Strength at Home

About this Story

This story was first published on the World Pulse platform and is shared here through a collaboration between World Pulse and Imaara Survivor Support Foundation. As part of Imaara’s Project Tell-Tale initiative, selected stories from World Pulse are being cross-posted to amplify survivor voices and strengthen conversations around gender-based violence.

The story was submitted in response to a call for stories connected to the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (2025), inviting survivors, advocates, and allies to share lived experiences, reflections, and pathways toward justice and healing.

Read the original story on World Pulse!

During my early childhood, I was raised in a home where violence was part of life. My father is someone who resorts to violence as his primary means of addressing any issues that arise at home. He has anger issues, and if we did something wrong, he would go out, get drunk, and come back home to chase us. Many times, I suggested to my mother that we should report his behavior to the police, but she would refuse. I have often wondered about her reasons for not reporting him; perhaps it was because he was the family’s sole provider, or was it because our justice system is not fair enough to deal with domestic cases? Growing up from my childhood days to becoming a woman, I experienced domestic violence at home, where my dad would come home and chase us out of the house if we did something wrong, and sometimes he would beat up my mum.

In 2021, during the Christmas holiday, I remembered vividly that my parents had an argument; my father was a short-tempered person. My mum was talking and talking, so my dad could not control his temper anymore. He got a stone, and he came up to the house, and he hit my mum’s forehead with the stone. Luckily, my sister and I were there, and we shouted and pushed my dad so he could not hurt my mum anymore. However, we were too late, and blood started flowing down from my mum’s forehead. My elder sister cried, but I did not want to show my weakness. I tear apart my mum’s shirt and press hard on her forehead to stop the blood from flowing. I held her against me, and we went to our neighbor’s house to hide. While a cousin of mine who was a nurse came back from work, saw my mum and treated her wound. My father, after doing this he left home and came back in the afternoon. I took my mum and hid her in my brother’s room, pretending that nothing happened. When my father came back in the evening, he asked about my mum. I lied to him that I do not know where she had gone. At night and the next day, our home does not feel like home anymore. It feel like something was missing.

When I was small, I could not do anything to protect my mum, but today I am proud of myself that I am always here to protect my mum. If my sister and I were not there, maybe my mum would have been seriously injured. Nevertheless, I was there, and I protected her. So to every girl out there, never ever remain silent, always be there to protect your mum, your sister, or your aunt from any form of violence.

Today, as I sat down to reflect on life. I see that all these challenges of life did not stop my siblings and I from pursuing our studies. From primary to secondary, and to where I am now, close to completing my studies at the university. I would say that mum is a strong woman, despite all these challenges of life she went through, she never abandon my siblings and I.

Growing up in a home where violence is part of life, I feel like something needs to be done. Women, girls, and mothers need more safe spaces to report any forms of violence they experience every day. Yes, there are many women in Papua New Guinea advocating for violence against women, but this issue is still prevalent in Papua New Guinea. Many mothers and young girls are losing their lives and are victims of violence every day. Some are speaking out while others remain silent because of fear. However, I believe that if men takes the lead in fighting against GBV. I am sure all women can live freely in this world.