MANY readers might not see the Middle East as an area noted for championing the role of women. That’s a wrong perception if Jordan is anything to go by. King Abdullah II swore-in a new 28 member cabinet on Monday that included four women ministers. There’s a coincidence for you – the PNG cabinet has the same number of ministers.
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BUT there’s a significant difference between the two governments – PNG can boast of only one woman member in the whole 109-seat Parliament. The recent Government proposal to boost that number by four appointed women members would appear to offer little to equalise that bizarre equation.
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IN Pakistan, facing elections soon, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto has nominated to contest one of the seats reserved for women. That system appears to echo a proposal put forward in a recent editorial in The National; PNG’s 20 regional seats, long on notice for abolition, could be retained but reserved for women candidates.
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THAT would ensure 20 elected – and not appointed – women members in the House. Ms Bhutto has also nominated for an “open” seat in which she will contest against all-comers. If we adopted a version of that system that guaranteed gender equality for all candidates, female representation in the House might rapidly reach well beyond that minimum of 20.
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TIME to take a break from elections – let’s turn to movies on offer this week. Today’s first suggestion is not a vintage movie – Panic Room starring Jodie Foster is the ultimately claustrophobic screen trip, filmed in 2002. Catch it tonight at 7.30 on Star Movies – but watch your nerves!
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IN the movie, mother and daughter take refuge in an impregnable room in the house when a violent gang breaks in to recover stolen goods hidden there. An engrossing thriller, most viewers will be glued to the screen. And by the way, Nicole Kidman was to have played the lead, but damaged a knee ...
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PREFER some veteran fantasy? Then Star Movies is still your channel, with Star Wars: Return of the Jedi at 5.30pm. Sneak out of the office a tad early and enjoy the classic. Cheers!
– Dee Nesenolis