Women vow to fight on despite loss on seats

BUSINESS SPECTATOR

WOMEN'S GROUPS IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA have pledged to fight on and contest the June 2012 elections after the government of Peter O'Neill failed for the third time to pass a law giving women 22 seats in the nation's male-dominated parliament.

The bill failed to pass parliament 58-1 last week after 21 MPs opposed to the historic law quit the chamber.

A failed third attempt to pass the bill means it has to be reintroduced to parliament.

With campaigning for the June 2012 soon to begin, women may not have a strong voice in parliament until the 2017 election.

Advocates of the bill say they will contest electorates despite the absence of the enabling laws.

"We have waited 36 years. Are we going to wait another five? We need to mobilise and we need to take the coming election on as our challenge," said Dorothy Tekwie, founder of the PNG Women in Politics.

"Absence of women has been part of the problem of why this country has been going down the drain and sold to the dogs, where no-one cares about our children, about social services, about human rights issues, and environmental destruction.”

"We're not asking to take away space from anybody," said Dame Carol Kidu, a 15-year veteran of parliament. “We are asking to provide extra space in a playing field that is completely uneven, completely uneven.

"It is not a western, foreign agenda being brought here.

"I can tell you the most influential person of the Kidu household of the Vahoi clan of the Tari village was my late mother-in-law. Let us not pretend women do not have a voice in Papua New Guinea. Women do have a voice here."

Prime Minister Peter O'Neill said he was disappointed with the members who left the chamber.

"If they didn't like the bill, they should have just remained in the chamber and voted against it," he told the Post Courier newspaper.

"They should have made it clear where they stand, instead of walking out. We cannot continue to deceive our womenfolk if the numbers are just not going to be there to support it."

Comments

[Moais Gabuar]

Good on you Dorothy. Prove your worth and battle it out at the polls rather than calling for free seats.

With all the happenings of the recent past, there are bound to be voters out there (including myself) who will definitely consider casting their votes in favor of women candidates.

Dame Carol's outstanding performance during her tenure has left some lasting impressions on this nation which women candidates can use as catalysts to lure more male votes. Wish you all every success.

[Mrs Barbara Short]

Good on you Dorothy Tekwie, surely there are plenty of women who are going to vote. Get them to vote for women candidates who I'm sure are not voting for these men who offer personal bribes. And get them to talk their husbands into letting these women have a go!

The "Big man" concept can be turned on its head by women who care enought to fight to get into the Parliament to sort out all these wrong things that have been going on!

And I hear you are the leader of the Greens Party and will fight against all the abuse of the environment that has occurred with the SABLs and the mining companies being given powers to dump their waste where-ever they like.

"Absence of women has been part of the problem of why this country has been going down the drain and sold to the dogs, where no-one cares about our children, about social services, about human rights issues, and environmental destruction.” How very true!

God bless you.