Becoming Mary: Marian devotion as a solution to gender-based violence in urban PNG

Anna-Karina Hermkens*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

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Abstract

This chapter deals with how, in the urban setting of Madang in Papua New Guinea, Marian devotion is deployed in response to gender-based violence, including in the context of HIV.(1) While providing insight into the lived religious experiences of Catholic women and, in particular, female members of the Legion of Mary, this chapter shows how women seek help from Mary and God in order to find a solution to the everyday violence they face. The experiences and perceptions described here reveal women's engagement in painful processes of self-analysis and self-transformation to hopefully adapt to and change their situation. In such processes, Mary is used as a role model.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationEngendering violence in Papua New Guinea
EditorsMargaret Jolly, Christine Stewart
Place of PublicationCanberra, A.C.T.
PublisherANU E Press
Pages137-161
Number of pages25
ISBN (Electronic)9781921862861
ISBN (Print)9781921862854
Publication statusPublished - 2012
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.

Keywords

  • Papua-New-Guinea
  • Aids

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