Dr Kwa : Allmost 20 years of PNG women in government

Suggestions were made to improve, strengthen and make new laws to ensure equal participation and non-discrimination of all women in Papua New Guinea during the CEDAW Legislative Review Program public workshop today in Port Moresby which saw the participation of people from different government and law sectors.

The CEDAW workshop that took place today in Port Moresby was aimed at presenting the role of the Constitutional and Law Reform Commission (CLRC) as well as its work and to get views from workshop participants on how to improve its work.

Suggestions included reforming laws to make women equal breadwinners, priority to first wives in polygamous marriages, underage marriage, access to health services and treatment of women in prison. A panel consisting of the member of CLRC took note of the suggestions and responded to questions raised by the participants.

Secretary for Constitutional and Law Reform Commission Dr Erick Kwa said that although there are issues of equal gender participation in PNG, there has been participation of women in district and provincial government since 1997 and we have come a long way.

Dr Kwa said we must not keep complaining that women are not equal participators by looking at our national government because there are almost 600 PNG women engaged by provincial and district LLG’s as representatives.