Hello my name is Linda Tule and I have been a village court magistrate and human rights defender for many years. My job is purely voluntary and it varies as there are all kinds of situations brought even right up to our doorsteps.
I was appointed in 2002, at Tokarara, June Valley. The chairman at the time was told by the Department of Justice that he had to have females in his village court or else they would not allow his court to function. He saw me reading a bible in the church one day, and must have said to himself, “This could be an ideal lady to be a village court magistrate.”
I have had 18 years of village court experience as a magistrate, however, in 2014 I was transferred from June Valley to Waigani NCC and I am currently the Chairlady there. I oversee about 14 village court officials. In my own court I have 5 females and six males, just balanced enough to apply gender equality.
18 years is a long time for anyone and what’s worse is not being afforded the wage to show that you are deserving of the hard work you put in year in year out. Yes, it’s all pure voluntary, helping these survivors off the little budget I manage on my own. There are so many of us that have been doing this. It’s a free service we are providing! We are saving the government a lot of money, they are not paying us for it. We’re just doing it out of pure love and passion but it wouldn’t hurt to give us an incentive and resources to continue the work we tirelessly do.
My role as village court magistrate, a human rights defender and all in all a woman comes with a lot of challenges because for us women, it’s very, very difficult. It’s easier to be a man than to be a woman depending on what stage you stand on and where one comes from. I commend the government for being pushed either by stakeholders or other to involve women more in the work considered for men alone.
Women will and are making a lot of changes. Come the future elections where women take their place in the house of parliament, will you see the changes only we can nurture and much needed by all.