UN Women Reaffirms Support for Papua New Guinea’s Leadership in Advancing Gender Equality

[Press release]

Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea — UN Women Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, Christine Arab, concluded a four-day visit to Papua New Guinea (PNG), reaffirming the organization’s commitment to supporting the Government of PNG’s leadership in advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment.

The visit, which took place between 28–31 January 2025, strengthened partnerships with government officials, Members of Parliament, development partners, civil society organizations, youth organizations and grassroots women’s groups, celebrating PNG’s significant progress while addressing ongoing challenges.

During her meetings with Prime Minister Hon. James Marape and with Minister for Community Development, Youth, and Religion Hon. Jason Peter, Ms. Arab recognized the important investments PNG has made to tackle gender-based violence, increasing women-owned spaces for economic opportunities and strategic enhancing of national legal frameworks to ensure women’s equality. Through discussions with women MPs and Ministers from the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, the visit also highlighted Bougainville’s Gender Equality, Women’s Empowerment, Peace, and Security Policy (2023–2027) as a major achievement in promoting women's leadership.

In partnership with the National Capital District Commission and Honourable Govenor Powes Parkop, and the New Zealand High Commission and High Commissioner Peter Zwart, Ms. Arab visited Gordon’s Market, a flagship women’s economic empowerment project. With only 10 percent of women in PNG having access to formal financial services, the Gordon’s Market initiative is crucial in providing women vendors with sustainable economic opportunities, and in which women lead the market’s governance and administration.

Addressing gender-based violence, Ms. Arab emphasized the urgent need to strengthen survivor support systems, particularly as 68 percent of women in PNG experience GBV in their lifetime. UN Women continues to work alongside the government to advance legal frameworks, community-based interventions, and capacity-building for service providers. The establishment of the National GBV Secretariat was recognized as a crucial step forward in coordinating national response efforts.

This visit reaffirmed UN Women’s commitment to working in close partnership with the Government of Papua New Guinea to drive policy advancements, economic empowerment, and protection for women and girls. Through continued collaboration and strategic investments, UN Women remains dedicated to fostering lasting change for gender equality across PNG.