Women in Business

Representatives from PNG Power Limited and the Santos Foundation joined the event, which included a panel discussion on "Invest in Women; Accelerate Progress."

Nino Nadiradze, USAID Country Representative, emphasized the pivotal role of women in driving growth and sustainability, reaffirming the shared commitment between the US and PNG towards an inclusive energy sector.

The training was facilitated in collaboration with the Swiss Academy for program with the funding from Puma Energy in Switzerland.

With the motto, ‘start small, act locally, think globally’, the 11^th batch of trainees were unique in having participants from technical professional background to simple homemakers and young women who had just finished formal school. 

Monalisa Saragum shared her testimony of how she has now said goodbye to hopelessness and her dream for a business got resurrected.

The training for batch number 11, which ran for a month will end with the graduation at the Mission Farm in Mirigeda outside Port Moresby.

Facilitator, Pastor Joe Hanuma, Business Trainer for City Mission PNG said the purpose of the training is to identify disadvantaged women who are into SME activities, doing market on the roadside or just want to organize their household budgets.

The training, which originated in Switzerland by the City Mission was started in PNG in 2018 with funding by PUMA Energy in Switzerland through partnership of City Mission in Switzerland.

Twenty-five thousand women in the Port Moresby North East Electorate have been empowered to venture into SME after completing a financial literacy-training program.

The certificate they receive from this training will enable them to apply for funding support from the Moresby North East Holdings.

The SME policy by the Government is empowering women to venture out and earn their own money instead of depending on their husbands, partners or family members.

But with the APEC/ Policy Partnership on Women and the Economy, this data is important.

A series of activities are currently on-going in the county, to gather this information, like the PPWE workshop and expo.

These exercises are carried out by the Department for community development and religion in partnership with Small and Medium Enterprises Corporation (SMEC).

A survey was conducted in April 2017, for the NCD area, but was halted after facing shortage of fund.

Tayor said the late Janet was an aggressive and enthusiastic supporter of the financial empowerment of women in PNG.

Taylor said this when acknowledging the progress PNG has made in making finance accessible for women.

She highlighted the establishment of the Women in Business which the late Janet Sape was an integral founder.

“I commend Papua New Guinea Women in Business which has established itself as a voice for all women in this country, particularly the most marginalized.

Australian Awards is piloting a new Australia Awards short course that aims to help build the capacity of women to trade.

The ‘Australia Awards: Women Trading Globally’ course is offered to Pacific women with their own business who have the potential to become ‘export ready’. 

It will cover international trade and how one might be able to embark on the pathway of growing their business into new international markets.

Digicel presented a cheque of K50, 000 cash well as 50, 000 in kind and support to Founder of Women in Business Janet Sape at the new Women in Business warehouse located at the Steamships compound, Waigani.

Digicel Retail Director Lorna McPherson who presented the cheque  says Digicel is excited to be part of this years expo and part of the reason why they wanted to be part of the expo is because of the difference made from last years expo for women in PNG.

While it’s a different reason for each individual, the common reason stands as financial illiteracy and long bank processes.

Arua Ginate, from Port Moresby’s largest coastal village, Hanuabada, expressed her thoughts on this during a recent graduation from a basic financial literacy course.

Arua, 65, is a pioneer participant of the Givim Han Long Laip Projek rolled out by Women in Business this year.

This was highlighted last night by Mary Peschka, the global director for Advisory Services of International Finance Corporation, at an event organized in partnership with the Business Coalition for Women.

The event reflected on PNG’s journey in empowering women, honoring the path-breakers, celebrating the achievers and to inspire the next generation of women in the private sector in PNG.

While highlighting progress in this area, Mary Peschka said sadly, there was very little progress, last year, especially regarding gender parity on boards or in executive decisions.