While we have been criticised by people who do not like to embrace change, free education in Papua New Guinea is changing lives and communities.
Speaking on International Women’s Day, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill said: “With education, and improved literacy and numeracy skills, women have greater opportunities to have careers and to start businesses.
“With education, women are better informed to make family planning choices and to be able to decide if and at what point in their lives to have a family.
“We must never let the opportunity for free education be lost in the future, and we must continue to ensure girls have equal an opportunity to enjoy their right to education.”
PM O’Neill said when Papua New Guinea hosts APEC in 2018, an important focus of the APEC policy program will be on empowering women in the economy.
“The United Nations has found that the limitations on equal participation in the workforce in the APEC region costs our countries around $US89 billion (K289.4 billion) each year,” stated the PM.
“If only from an economic perspective, we must strive to ensure that the contribution of women in the economy expands, and then we will all share the positive growth this will deliver to our people.
“When we host APEC, we will have a range of forums that strengthen women’s economic empowerment, in cities and in regional locations.”
The PM said this includes helping women to better access capital, enhance skills and to open opportunities in areas of innovation and technology.
“I encourage Papua New Guinean women to be highly active in APEC in Papua New Guinea next year.”
(Picture: MAF)