11 Mar 2004

Vanuatu Council of Women condemns alleged abuse by government official

5:08 pm on 11 March 2004

The Chief Executive of the Vanuatu National Council of Women, Jenny Ligo, says she's shocked and upset at the treatment of a female member of staff by a senior government official.

The Vanuatu Daily Post reports that the Director General for Agriculture Geoffrey Wilfred publicly slapped and abused a woman in the Finance Department because he wanted priority to be given to processing his payment request.

Female staff within the Finance department have now jointly signed a letter to the Prime Minister to demand action.

Jenny Ligo says this sort of behaviour is not acceptable and men need to change their attitudes towards women.

"Some of us are brave enough to face the men, some are not. The thing we should be looking at here is respect because if they don't respect the women they work with they don't respect their wives or mothers at home."

The Chief Executive of the Vanuatu National Council of Women, Jenny Ligo.

But Mr Wilfred denies he slapped the women and is accusing the Daily Post of blowing the whole incident out of proportion in an effort to discredit him.

I did not slap her at all. I think she swore at me and I simply pushed her and told her to watch her lips, I mean her language and what she's saying.

Mr Wilfred is now facing court action.