Women empowerment

This gap will be identified in a short video, currently being put together by the Pacific International Hospital, with the help of EMTV.

The video will capture local women from different walks of life sharing their views on what they understand about gender equality and its state in the country.

It will be showcased on March 8, which is International Women’s Day, during an event PIH is planning to host.

The event will host policy makers from embassies and companies (both government and private).

Dressed in purple, in commemoration of International Women’s Day, students are busy preparing for the Australia Foreign Affairs Minister’s visit.

DWU SRC social events coordinator, Rhonda Mirr, told Loop PNG that Minister Julie Bishop is expected on campus at around 3pm.

“Everyone is in purple, especially the females,” says the final year health management student.

“It’s pretty lively here. Everyone’s in a ‘cleaning-up mode’.”

Starting at 5:30am, the walk began from the Digicel Port Moresby Headquarter in Gordan, following the route to SP Brewery, up onto Poreporena Freeway, around the ring-road to Ela Beach.

This was organised by the Women in Leadership League - a vehicle for driving the recognition of high performing women and women leaders in Digicel.

According to President Gou Kere, the walk is the first activity of the year and had a good turnout.

The protest aims to enhance opportunities for gender equality and women empowerment.

The women claim that for years they have been the scapegoats of taboos and customs.

They have suffered for years from continuous alcohol and drug-related verbal and physical abuse plus sexual violence that has deprived women rights in the rural areas.

The organisers say they aim to speak out for the silent majority and break down the stigma that accompanies so many experiences of violence and abuses.

They are participants of the Givim Han Long Laip Projek, rolled out this year, throughout Port Moresby, from Hanuabada all the way to Gerehu.

According to Felisa Inoino Avou, a trainer and pioneer WIB, the two-today course covered basic awareness of family budgeting, how to sell and to bank to save for the long term.

Avou said majority of the women participants were illiterate which made this particular course roll-out unique from other similar projects.

The Global Women in Management (GWIM) program is supported by operator of the PNG LNG Project, ExxonMobil PNG Limited under parent company ExxonMobil’s Women’s Economic Opportunity Initiative.

At the welcome back reception, ExxonMobil PNG Limited’s Public and Government Affairs Manager, Daniel Worrall, congratulated the women on successfully completing the training program. Mr Worrall thanked the participants for their attendance at the program, and their commitment to use the new skills they have learned for the benefit of PNG.

She is a venture capital investor who has actively supported dozens of innovative companies including ZADY, Levo League, Halllabalu, Bustle and HelloGiggles. Before diving into the VC world, Fran spent 15 years in the digital media space, holding president and general manager positions at Time Inc., AOL and Moviefone. She played an integral role in the $400mm sale of Moviefone to AOL and in building People.com into one of the most successful women’s websites. And the big bonus is Fran’s generosity of spirit. She loves connecting people, mentoring women and inspiring ideas.

She’s an investor, a philanthropist, a writer and an entrepreneur. Her latest venture is Proday, a fitness app for busy people looking to spice up their lives and start working out with fitness celebrities and world-renowned athletes.

Sarah says she’s “A double minority, a black woman operating in the tech world.” But Sarah conquers that bias by finding ways to be “unimpeachably good” and not letting lame excuses get in her way of what she wants to do with her life. This is Sarah’s Mentoring Moment:

She is the proud mother of @babyshaan and @stanleythepuppy (yes, they’re both on Twitter, and yes, Stanley is a girl). She is the first South Asian woman to run for a New York Congressional seat. And she believes her failures have ultimately brought her great success. This is Reshma’s Mentoring Moment, in her words:

The attitude and expectations of the men in my life have shaped me. From a young age, I was expected to play sport, to be adventurous, to be successful at school and in my career by my dad.

I don’t think I’m alone. I’ve noticed that among my peers, most of the women who are confident and uninhibited in the careers and choices they make are the ones with strong male role models or ones who have fathers with high expectations of them.