At FIFA football final in Papua New Guinea, thousands of fans say no to violence against women

Author: Adina Wolf

Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea — The roars of 15,000 fans at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Final stopped for a few moments today as UN Women and FIFA encouraged them to reject violence against women and girls.UN Women partnered with FIFA, football’s world governing body, to ask the capacity crowd at the National Football Stadium to think about the harsh reality faced by women and girls in Papua New Guinea and around the world.

Photo: UN Women

Before the game began, the fans heard the stadium broadcast: “One in three women and girls worldwide will experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetimes. A safe world is every women and girl’s right. Join us in standing together -- Sanap Wantaim -- for a brighter future free from violence against women and girls.”

The event was part of the Orange the World initiative of the United Nations Secretary-General’s UNiTE Campaign to End Violence against Women. Sanap Wantain means Stand Together and is the name of the local version of the UNiTE campaign.

A video on the stadium’s big screens showed the fans the shocking statistics of violence against women. It ended with calls to Orange the World, stop violence against women, and Sanap Wantaim.

Orange banners emblazoned with calls to “End Violence” were displayed in the corners of the stadium.

Attending the match was UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, who was visiting Papua New Guinea during the United Nations’ 16 Days of Activism to End Gender-Based Violence.

"Violence against women and girls has a devastating impact on our vision for a world where women and girls can flourish and prosper peacefully alongside men and boys," she said. “We thank FIFA for joining advocacy efforts to raise awareness throughout the tournament."

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea won the match, defeating France 3-1.

Papua New Guinea is a dangerous place to be a woman. A study done by UN Women in 2014 found that more than 90 per cent of women and girls experienced some form of violence while accessing public transport, including in public places like bus stops.