Mama Yosepha Alomang: Papuan women must defend human rights

Mama Yosepha Alomang or Mama Yosepha is from the Indonesian province of Papua, a famous Amungme tribe figure and activist who active in defending Papuan women’s right. She was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2001, for her efforts on organizing her community to resist the mining company Freeport-McMoRan‘s mining practices over three decades that have destroyed rainforests, polluted rivers, and displaced communities.

The following article about Mama Yosepha is translate from Jubi.

Mama Yosepha invites Papuan women to stay united and take a role to fight for the rights of Papuan women. She also invited every Papuan woman to be involved in defending Papuan human rights.

This was stated by Mama Yosepha after attending a joint prayer and the signing of the Papuan People’s Petition at the Papua Indigenous Council Office in Jayapura City, Wednesday (7/22/2020). The 1999 winner Yap Thiam Hien said she was proud that Papuan women were brave enough to become Papuan human rights defenders.

“I am very happy, because now many Papuan women are standing at the forefront of fighting for human rights. Not only for women, but also Papuans in general, ” she said.

Alomang said that every Papuan woman must feel sad and cry seeing the ongoing human rights violations in Papua. “Because we gave birth, raised children. We were married, so that the dignity of Papuan women must be respected by anyone. Don’t insult the dignity of Papuan women, “she said.

Mama Yosepha Alomang requests Papuan men to support Papuan women. Papuan men must embrace Papuan women in human rights work, in order to create justice. “Because, I’m a generation of old Papuan women, I embrace all Papuan men without distinction. After me, who else? So Papuan men must support Papuan women. We hold hands together. Because [if] a man is alone, [he] cannot solve any problems, “she said.

Chairperson of the Papua Indigenous Council Women’s and Children’s Working Group, Irene Waromi, said Papuan women were still vulnerable to verbal and non verbal abuse. “The violence occurred repeatedly, intentionally or unintentionally, so there must be legal protection [for Papuan women],” she said.