November 25 marks the beginning of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, a time to unite and highlight the urgency of ending gender-based violence in all its forms.
Here, we’re sharing Mary’s* story —a woman who had the courage to speak up. With the support of MSI Papua New Guinea, she realised a different future was possible.
Content warning: this post discusses violence and self-harm. If you need support in Australia, call 1800 RESPECT or get more info here.
Mary is 27, a mother of two, living in Papua New Guinea. After being seriously injured in an accident, Mary’s doctors advised her to keep her family small. With her husband as the only earner, planning their family was especially important.
After her second child, Mary began taking oral contraceptive pills, but the side effects were affecting her health. Seeking a better option, she visited her local health clinic where she was referred to MSI Papua New Guinea’s ‘MS Ladies’—nurses who are specially trained to support women with family planning options and counselling.
Mary met with an MS Lady and received counselling and information about contraceptive options, which gave her peace of mind about trying a new family planning method. Reassured, she chose a three-monthly injection.
The right place
While waiting to receive her injection, Mary picked up a pamphlet on sexual and gender-based violence provided by MSI Papua New Guinea. The pamphlet talked about how to identify violence and included contact information for organisations that help survivors.
For the first time, Mary learned about places like Femili Papua New Guinea and the Family and Sexual Violence Unit—resources she didn’t know existed. She gathered her courage and shared her story with one of the MS Ladies, opening up about the emotional and physical abuse she had survived at home.
She gathered her courage and shared her story with one of the MS Ladies, opening up about the emotional and physical abuse she had survived at home ... That conversation became a turning point. For the first time, Mary received real support and a clear path forward.
She spoke of the times she felt so lost that she had tried to take her own life.
That conversation became a turning point. For the first time, Mary received real support and a clear path forward. MSI Papua New Guinea connected her with counselling and resources that could help her find safety and healing.
The team gave Mary something she hadn’t felt in a long time—hope. She left the clinic knowing she didn’t have to struggle alone.
Breaking cycles of silence
For Mary, the care she received from MSI Papua New Guinea was more than a health service—it was a space where she felt safe. The team’s understanding gave her the strength to seek help and a path toward a future with greater safety and possibility for her and her children.
This story is a reminder of the essential role of sexual and reproductive healthcare for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence. Mary’s courage shows that with support, women can begin to break free from cycles of violence and reclaim their lives.
Every woman deserves to feel supported, heard, and safe. By reaching women like Mary, MSI Papua New Guinea is working towards a future where no one has to endure violence alone—and where every woman can feel hopeful about her future.
Your support helps us make sure women like Mary know they’re not alone. It helps us to provide counselling, referrals, contraception and abortion care to survivors worldwide.
This 16 Days of Activism, join us in the fight to ensure every woman – no matter where she lives – is free from the cycle of violence.
*Name has been changed for privacy.
Every donation helps us to build a world in which women have safety and choice. Will you join us?