RURAL WOMEN ON A NETWORK BUILDING MISSION

Determination, passion and love for their people are the driving forces behind the success of women leaders Francisca Moiwo, Cathy Yafu and Julie Alo, who are among many other PNG women that are silently working in their local communities extending the arm of services for the benefit of their people. These Papua New Guinean women have beat all odds to advance progress in their male-dominated and patrilineal communities. Each of the women has their own stories to tell, some similar, others unique and different from each other depending on the environment they operate from. They are resilient, adamant, skilful and are champions of their communities. They were brought in from their rural communities to be part of APEC which was held in Port Moresby in 2018. The senior officials meeting in Port Moresby was an opportunity for these rural women. For the three women that came in from the remote highlands, they have one shot at showcasing their products to delegates of APEC through their stall at the International Convention Center in Port Moresby. They all are under the banner of the Advancing PNG: Leaders Network. A non-government organisation that connects over 63 women from various cultures and professional backgrounds in Papua New Guinea. Between the series of the Third APEC Senior Officials meeting, delegates got a chance to mingle with these women at their stalls. They are in business promoting the role of women in agriculture and other developments in their respective communities.

Julie Alo, Francisca Moiwo, Cathy Yafu and Florence Bunari from Buna Tracks and Tours. 

Francisca Moiwo, is President of the Simbu Catholic Women’s Association. She manages projects to create and enforce laws and policies that mainstream gender in the markets and create a safe place for women vendors. She manages and coordinates the Ambumangre microcredit scheme, providing financial services to more than 5000 members in Chimbu. She conducts financial education training and carries out awareness-raising campaigns through the media and community outreach. She initiated the project ‘’Gifted Hands,’’ which encourages women who make bilums to sell. She uses her contacts to identify market opportunities for the women in the gifted hands' project. ‘’APEC is good. I’m very happy the government has brought this meeting into the country. I’m looking to see many policies developed, amended or changed to suit us, the ordinary women in the villages.

I’m looking forward to what APEC will bring to the country,’’ Mrs Moiwo said.

Her colleague Cathy Yafu from the Sisiba Women’s Agriculture Group says promoting her products here is a privilege. Cathy Yafu is the founder and chair lady of Sisibia Women’s Agriculture Group, a social entrepreneur non-government organisation in Kutubu LLG of the Southern Highlands Province. Her organisation aims to empower and enhance its members to use what they have to improve and sustain their living conditions through sweat equity and self-reliance principles. She is successfully doing layer projects and supplying a catering company in Kutubu. To improve their local community’s livelihood, her women's group grows introduced vegetables and rice for their consumption. It markets surplus vegetables to groups and sells them for personal income. ‘’Women I’m currently working with are amazing. Many of them have acquired sewing, poultry and piggery skills and are doing well. These business ventures they are doing have changed their way of life in the villages. I’m thankful to APNG: WLN for making it possible to attend this meeting. I have networked with other SMEs, food companies and PNG-owned organisations to foster long-term relationships and mutual benefit. And hoping that this meeting will bring many changes and boost the SMEs and locally owned PNG organisation in the future,’’ said Mrs Yafu. The same was said by Arou Village Peanut Farmer – Julie Alo. She looks after Hides and Juha Women’s leadership and good governance training program.‘’Out of these training programs I have conducted, women have been empowered in Lake Kopiago. We have helped contribute to building our Aid Post, Staff housing and with assistance from Developers such as OilSearch and Exxonmobil, we are happy to see new schools for our children. I’m happy to see delegates drop by our stall and check out samples of our products. A lot of them were amazed at what we are doing,’’ said Mrs Alo. From men and women, there is a growing recognition that is creating more levelled partnerships between both sexes. This will enhance the sustainability of each lady's project for families and villages. This is the point Francisca Moiwo raised, at which the tasks can be genuinely transformational.

 

The Group arrived in the city a week before SOM3 and was at the venue throughout the meeting. The three women leaders are under the Advancing PNG Women Leaders Network banner. 

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Note: The story was first published in 2018 on the PNG APEC Website: