Ruth Kissam
Scholar Ruth Kissam from Columbia University Scholars 2019-2020.
Director of Operations, Papua New Guinea Tribal Foundation
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Ruth Julie Kissam is a community organizer and a human rights activist focusing specifically on areas of Sorcery Accusation Related Violence (SRV) in Papua New Guinea. Currently she is the Director of Operations for the PNG Tribal Foundation, a nonprofit organization that works in areas of maternal health, education, women, and gender issues. In this role, she led the Senisim Pasin Film Campaign, a multi-year national campaign that has been specifically designed to change thinking and cultural attitudes about how women are valued in Papua New Guinea. Ruth’s prior work focused on addressing law and order issues around illegal settlements, including a lack of education and gender based violence in illegal settlements in Papua New Guinea.