women in parliament

Women need more seats in parliament

United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in partnership with the government and other development partners to empower women and expose their potential.

UN Resident Coordinator, Richard Howard Junior, emphasized that this year got off to a rough start with the January 10 tragedy, but says things could have been different if many women held leadership positions in the country.

Dr Gelu Wants More Women In Parliament

Registrar for Political Parties, Dr Alphonse Gelu, made this known during the National Forum for Aspiring Women Leaders in Alotau recently. 

“We know that women are more likely to be elected if they have the support of the resources and networks of a political party. We therefore need political parties to see the value of endorsing women candidates,” said Dr Gelu.

Women needed in Parlt, Dr Gelu

He challenged women leaders in the province to support each other in the country’s next National General Elections in 2022. 

Dr Gelu utilized the opportunity to advocate for women to step forward to contest in the coming elections. He said it is important that women have a voice in Parliament. He said women currently represent at the ward, president, and local level governments but are still not represented consistently in Parliament.

Efforts to get women into Parliament underway

In preparation for the 2022 National General Elections, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Integrity of Political Parties and Candidates Commission (IPPCC) have commenced efforts to drive a critical national initiative. This initiative aims to raise awareness on the importance of getting women into Papua New Guinea’s highest lawmaking institution, the National Parliament.

PM vows to clean up electoral process

He made this comment while giving his keynote address at the first ever PNG Political Parties and Women in Political Leadership Forum in Port Moresby recently.

Marape said although there are no women in Parliament in this term, women’s participation in political leadership in the country is not bleak.

However, there is still room for improvement – without infringing on the rights of the citizens of Papua New Guinea – to choose the leaders they believe can serve the interest of the people and the country best.

What’s the best way to get women into Parlt?

During the recent APEC Discussion Series at the Precinct entitled, ‘Women in Leadership’, the Commission’s secretary, Dr Eric Kwa, said his office has received the directive from PNG’s head of state.

The Constitutional and Law Reform Commission is interested in what PNG’s citizens think is the best way to get women into parliament.

For the first time in 25 years (since the 1992 election), no female has made up the 10th parliament, in spite of more female candidates being nominated for 2017 elections than ever before.

Soso, Kouza and Gore break dominance in 2012

This was the best result for women candidates since 1977 when the first elections were conducted in the newly independent State of Papua New Guinea.

However, three MPs is still only a small percentage of all MPs, because elections remain dominated by men.

According to The Data on PNG elections from the Development Policy Centre of the Australian National University, in 2012, just 4 per cent of candidates were women.

In each of PNG’s regions, women candidates won lower vote shares than men in 2012. This reflects the challenges women candidates face.

UNDP calls for applications for Women in Parliament training

The practice training aims to support more PNG women to participate in elections and be elected to Parliament and raise awareness on increasing women’s participation in politics and leadership roles.

UNDP has been running Practice Parliaments for Women across the Pacific.

In 2012, 50 PNG women participated in the first ever Practice Parliament for Women in the country.

The idea of a Practice Parliament for Women provided a practical forum to expose participant to the realities of policy-making and being a parliamentarian.