Women

Central Bank Governor Loi Bakani told participants at the Improving Digital Financial Literacy Workshop recently in Port Moresby, an APEC capacity-building initiative for Papua New Guinea.

When giving an overview of challenges faced in PNG with the digital financial literacy, Central Bank Governor Loi Bakani said although digital technology is opening new vistas, challenges persist.

The Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary recently revived its Women’s Advisory Network (WAN), which is strengthening the skillsets of members as part of its effort to improve work conditions for female officers and the quality of community police services.

The organisation is volunteer-driven and provides an advocacy platform for police women to address issues such as harassment and discrimination in the workplace.

37 women farmers from various local level government areas in Rigo district learnt basic skills on financial management, crop production skills and farm management that includes land management and commercial marketing.

Central Province Agriculture and Livestock Advisor, Kila Gege, said a total of 12 such trainings for famers have been planned and funded in partnership with Taiwanese government.

However, challenges still remain with regard to unifying the women of Bougainville; having them take a seat at the same table to further the common goal of maintaining peace by peaceful means.

In August 2017 an historic conference took place that saw women from North, Central and South Bougainville come together to highlight the significant role, both in times past and at present, women play in both building peace and fostering social cohesion in the region.

The Family and Sexual Violence Action Committee (FSVAC), a sectoral committee of the Consultative Implementation and Monitoring Council (CIMC), is appealing to community leaders, tribal leaders and individuals, including men, to put an end to the fighting and pursue conflict resolution so that much needed humanitarian support and government assistance can continue into the province.

Senior Magistrate Albert Daniels, in a recent address to the Lihir women workforce, said it is evident in PNG that women are now venturing into previously male dominated professions.

The challenge that follows this group of women is not just to participate or contribute, but to refine and enhance their own roles to fit the changing landscape.

He said many women in the world, especially in PNG, have walked difficult journeys to be recognised as having equal rights to men.

But he added their journeys have inspired many generations to acknowledge women’s rights.

He said his five-year development plan includes capturing the rollout of Small to Medium Enterprises for mothers for the electorate. This will be launched this month.

Kaupa said some of the electorate’s DSIP funds will be parked with the National Development Bank and mothers engaged in the informal sector will receive K5,000 funding for their businesses.

Kaupa told the women to register their businesses with Investment Promotion Authority and open an account with a commercial bank to receive funding assistance.

This statistics was revealed by Secretary General for Pacific Islands Forum Leaders, Dame Meg Taylor.

“We need to ensure that the foundation for justice remains in society,” she said.

Violence against women is a current issue that is prevalent in the region and a collective effort is needed to address it.

“It’s disturbing that two out of three women experience violence by an intimate partner,” Dame Meg said.

In Papua New Guinea, Gender based violence remains a challenge in achieving gender equality.

This call was made by Doreka Dai, who is a designer and runs a small tailoring business.

She made the comments during the opening of the Boera Women’s Resource Centre in the Central Province village yesterday (Feb 27).

Dai, who is a member of the Boera Women’s Association and Advancing PNG: Women Leaders Network, said many a time, women were their own worst enemies.

With the new centre, she called for cooperation and support among women.

The Centre was built with support from ExxonMobil PNG at a cost of K260,000.

It has also led to the safe return of 18-year-old Dominic Cletus, alleged to have been abducted late Sunday evening.

Dominic was mistakenly linked to a robbery earlier that afternoon, where a bus 11 was held up at Koki bus stop.

He was last seen being forced into a bus 17 at Badili.

His abduction led to the extended family and the Koki community’s retaliation in stopping the buses on Monday.

But father Cletus Gomiai has women leaders Anna Punai, Vero Kai Mary Tokai, Hellen Hivitaro and the women network in Morata to thank.