Women lead the call for gun control in Bougainville
Women living in post-conflict Bougainville are asking for more gun control.
Helen Hakena, of the Leitana Nehan Women’s Development Agency, said:
“This is a matrilineal society and women own the land, but women cannot speak up to claim their land because (frequently) the opposing party are known to have guns. So land ownership goes to the wrong people.”
She said guns feature regularly in incidents of domestic violence, land disputes, and violence related to accusations of witchcraft and sorcery, which are common on the islands.
