Eradicating gender-based violence – Leentje Be’Soer

Meet the most influential voice tackling gender-based violence in PNG

We are thrilled to introduce Leentje Be’Soer, an incredible Human Rights Activist from Papua New Guinea. Leentje works with a rural NGO called Voice for Change whose primary objective is peace and equality for all. Her work focuses on combating gender based violence in Papua New Guinea and ensuring that rural women are inclusive participants in all levels of development. But who better to introduce Leentje than her own Mum! Here is what Leentje’s mother had to say after watching the interview herself,

“You did not introduce yourself Leentje; you do so much work across all spaces of Gender Based Violence from advocacy, to lobbying for policy changes, writing stories, seeking funding support, programme design yearly to suit the needs and emerging issues. You love to read. You create initiatives for all groups to meet and share. You encourage young men with any activities that will give them a purpose to be change agents. You work hard.”

Without further ado here is Leentje Be’Soer in conversation with Cool Earth on eradicating gender-based violence in PNG. Timestamps for each question are provided under the video.

Check out Voice for Change and Leentje’s work here

Timestamps

00:01:26 – Biggest challenges that you personally face as a women’s rights defender?

00:03:13 – What are the barriers that prevent you accessing the laws and the structures that are in place to protect women?

00:06:47 – Does a woman find it a different experience accessing referrals and courts in a matrilineal society versus a patrilineal society?

00:11:23 – Education has been a great empowerer of women, but also a burden?.

00:12:39 – Outline the biggest three ways you think that women could be supported in Papua New Guinea.

00:17:39 – Is there a country in the world that you think is doing very well in making women safe.

00:19:57 – How easy would it be for a man to stand in the local level government elections compared to a woman?

00:21:33 – How does climate breakdown disproportionately negatively affect women?

00:25:07 – What’s the main thing that Cool Earth should do for the women that we work with?