Female inmates make bilum dresses

FEMALE prisoners in Baisu jail outside Mt Hagen city can now make bilum dress out of strings.
The bilum dress making was part of the prison’s rehabilitation programme for female prisoners, according to project coordinator Vauka Yope.
Mrs Yope said Baisu female detainees were the first in the country to embark on the bilum dress project on a trial-and-error basis but the female prisoners had successfully completed without problem.
“Our first finished bilum dress was taken by Cpl Mary Siure, CS women’s representative from the Highlands region to showcase it at the CS gender equality workshop in Port Moresby last week, Mrs Yope said.
She said the bilum dress and the gender equity workshops fall coincidentally, adding that they want to show others that women can also play an important role in the family, community and country as whole.
Mrs Yope said the workshop was also timely and relevant as there were no male prisoners.
“The other skills taught in the prison for the female inmates were weaving, computing, typing and Bible studies,” she said.
Mrs Yope said finished products were sold to outside business houses and individuals to generate money in order to sustain the programme.
"The money we get from our sales are used to purchase materials," Mrs Yope said.
Baisu jail facility management unit coordinator Insp Michael Awirap congratulated the female CS officers and detainees for sharing their skills and ideas in making dress out of strings.
"You (women) are very special than man with special talents and skills that you have and bilum dress making is one of the many you have," Insp Awirap said.