Tuesday 11 June 2024
The national government has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening gender equality and women’s empowerment, as representatives from various government agencies, development partners, and civil society organizations gathered for the ‘Empower Her – PNG Peace Initiative’ Inception meeting.
The meeting, hosted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), aimed to support policy frameworks and launch local initiatives that promote women’s empowerment and peace.
“We have a lot of work that has been done, and a lot yet to be done in the space of gender equality and women empowerment,” said Ms Nancy Kavop, Director of the Office for the Development of Women (ODW).
“There are many areas that we need to discuss and find ways forward in addressing women, peace and security issues in our country.”
The meeting also featured presentations from representatives of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, Hela, and Southern Highlands provinces, who highlighted the challenges faced by women in their regions.
Mr Ahmed Awil from UNDP said there is a need to find solutions to these issues.
“The purpose of this meeting is to collaborate and engage on what we think about this project and how best we can work together before we go out and do work on the ground,” said Mr Ahmed Awil.
The meeting included a breakout session where participants from various organizations, including UN Women, UNFPA, Tribal Foundation, ABG, and others discussed the intended outcomes of the inception meeting.
“It’s a significant step forward in our efforts to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment,” said Ms Kavop.
“We appreciate the support of our development partners and look forward to working together to achieve our goals.”
The ‘Empower Her – PNG Peace Initiative’ aims to support the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda in Papua New Guinea, with a focus on empowering women and promoting peace and security.