By ZACHERY PER
SUCCESSIVE parliamentary budgets passed over the years have always been gender biased, according to a rising women leader in the Pacific.
Deputy Speaker of the Autonomous Bougainville Parliament and women’s regional representative of North Bougainville Francisca Semoso made the remarks at the 9th Centre for Democratic Institution (CDI) Pacific Parliamentarians Dialogue in Goroka yesterday.
She said women wanted a gender balanced national budgets right throughout the Pacific region including Australia and New Zealand.
Ms Semoso said women always had the raw deal when it came to budgetary allocations and often their plans and aspirations for a better future for their respective societies were hampered.
“What size of the cake would it take for women to benefit and contribute meaningfully towards nation building?” she asked.
She said the annual national, provincial and local level government budgets do not support women and women issues.
She said all the issues and problems facing the countries in the region and the world would be addressed comfortably should there be a gender balanced budget.