Cressida grew up in Porgera, a world-class gold mining area located in the center of Papua New Guinea. In this land monopolized by Canadian and Chinese mining companies, assaults and violence against local residents, especially women, by the mining companies are rampant, and numerous human rights violations have been reported. Her brother was also a victim of violence and murdered by a mining company employee. Cressida herself has been sexually assaulted multiple times.

In response to these horrific experiences, Cressida established the Porgera Red Women’s Association in 2014 to protect the lives, heritage, and culture of the indigenous people, especially women who have become victims of sexual violence. She is a community leader of 5,000 women victims, and her organization works to raise awareness of the situation in the region to the world, advocate for change with governments and mining companies, and improve the lives of victims through education and job training.