By SHEILA LASIBORI
CORRECTIONAL Service Minister Tony Aimo has reminded staff that equal employment opportunities for women officers will not take place until the department’s structure is fully implemented.
He has therefore taken up the task himself and will be meeting with Public Service Minister Peter O’Neill today to discuss the matter.
The new organisational structure was approved two years ago but had not been fully implemented, he told a week-long conference on equal employment opportunity policy in Port Moresby.
The theme of the conference was “strengthening the changes and moving forward together”.
Mr Aimo said he would not tolerate discrimination of women at workplace.
“Appointments must be based on merits and I will not tolerate harassment and discrimination and retaliation of any form in the department,” he warned the participants who are from various parts of the country.
He said the structure would also pave the way for salary adjustments and recruitment and promotions.
Commissioner Richard Sikani challenged female officers in charge of divisions to take disciplinary action against officers, even male officers, and not to feel inferior against male counterparts in executing their duties.
He was especially mindful of provisions on discipline under the CS Act, adding that a committee would be set up to review the legislation.
“When you are given a task, stand up to it,” he said and urged officers to be honest if they were unable to carry out assigned tasks.
“Under my administration, I would like to see men and women officers work side by side.”
Technical adviser Tony Voss expressed concerns that although women possessed good leadership qualities, they continued to remain widely “misrepresented.”
“The challenge for us now is to consider how each one of us can contribute to this proactive approach,” he said.