Papua New Guinea (PNG) is a nation in the south-western Pacific Ocean consisting of over 600 islands and is known for its enormous cultural and linguistic diversity. For instance, there are over 800 known languages spoken throughout the islands (IDWA, 2023). PNG also contains one of the highest concentrations of uncontacted tribes. This means that the total population is disputed; the country’s official 2019 census cites a population of 9.4 million, while a December 2022 United Nations study estimates a population of nearly 17 million (Lagan, 2022). Amidst this confusion, one thing is clear: PNG has a long-demonstrated history of domestic and sexual violence against women. Human Rights Watch reported in 2021 that “a woman is beaten every 30s in PNG, and more that 1.5 million people experience gender-based violence in the country each year.” (McLennan, 2021). This makes the island nation one of the most unsafe places in the world for women.
