B’ville women’s group to lead awareness

The Bougainville Women’s Federation (BWF) was given approval to spearhead the region’s independence referendum awareness drive.
BWF’s awareness materials were signed and approved by the Department of Referendum, Peace and Veterans Affairs secretary James Tanis (pictured), in Buka on Thursday.
“I make this approval after numerous consultations with BWF leadership on the content of the materials,” Tanis said.
“The materials are not legal documents but represent the voice of mothers, sisters and daughters of Bougainville on weapons disposal.”
This latest development would now enable the women in the region to actively participate in the awareness drive about Bougainvilles’ promised referendum planned for June 15, 2019.
“This information material will support the work of the department on its referendum awareness efforts,” Tanis said.
He thanked theBougainville Women’s Federation for the initiative and said it would help the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) to educate and raise awareness among the people of the challenges facing them in the referendum awareness issues.
Tanis said ABG had the major task to conduct crucial awareness to the people on vital conditions that Bougainville was subjected to as mandated to by the Bougainville Peace Agreement.
One of the conditions was Bougainville meeting the weapons disposal plan.
“The documents will take our awareness one step forward,” Tanis said.
“Together with the other information prepared by ABG’s Bureau of Media and Communication, they (materials) will be developed into a local voice.”