Papua New Guinea taking steps to help women and people with disabilities

Author: Mariyam Nawaz

Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea — UN Women and other development partners are continuing to support the Papua New Guinea Government’s steps to help people with disabilities and those at risk of gender-based violence.

Anna Solomon, Secretary, Department of Community Development and Religion, at left, and Gianluca Rampolla, United Nations Resident Coordinator, address the 16 August forum. Photo: United Nations/Milka Akane

The bi-annual Dialogue on Gender between Government and Development Partners took place on 16 August. The two sides agreed that:

• The Draft Authority Disabilities Bill will be sent to the Development Partners for review before being finalized. The bill seeks to remove barriers faced by people with disabilities. The Ministry for Religion, Youth and Community Development opened consultations on the bill in May.
• The next national census should include in-depth questions for people living with disabilities.
• Government departments and the Development Partners will strengthen coordinated efforts to streamline the collection and management of data on gender-based violence.

Chairing the Dialogue, Anna Solomon, Secretary at the Department of Community Development and Religion, encouraged the Development Partners to support the Government’s work on priority areas of women’s empowerment and gender equality.

Gianluca Rampolla, the United Nations Resident Coordinator, said that gender equality is central to the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

“The key role of women as drivers for economic development, good governance, sustainable management of resources, and as crucial actors in politics, peacebuilding and social cohesion has to be fully realized,” he said. “The UN’s priority is to ensure women do have the space to lead in every social sphere and economic sector.”