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The National, Thursday 16th May 2013
THE deputy governor of Morobe should hang his head in shame for suggesting that women could help stop rape if they were to dress more modestly and didn’t wear shorts. The women of PNG, especially in Lae, deserve a public apology from him.
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ERNIE Gangloff said it all. He has a very good proposal for the health minister to take up. Introduce a law which makes it mandatory for all doctors to file a report to the nearest police station for all cases of domestic violence or child abuse. Yes, we need a formal process to force authorities to act if we have any chance of addressing such issues.
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THE members of Rotary Club of Ballina in Australia must be commended for their latest project, which is the collection and assembly of birthing kits. They are shipped to Papua New Guinea and distributed to village birth attendants for use on expectant mums. The United Nations estimates that 58,000 women die every year during childbirth. Developing countries accounts for 99% of these deaths.
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THE kits made by the Rotary Club of Ballina include a metre-long piece of linen, towels, wipes, soap, gloves, scalpel and string. The packs help improve the health and safety of pregnant women. So far, members have assembled 200 of these packs and the programme is ongoing.
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MORE parliamentarians are now placing emphasis on human resource development by paying tuition fees of students in tertiary institutions. The University of Papua New Guinea received its fair share of visits by several Members of Parliament in the first quarter of this year to deliver tuition fee subsidies for students from their electorates studying in the institution. Finally some of these MPs have decided to invest in human resources.
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SAD to note that journalism training at UPNG needs to be enhanced with better teaching materials and equipment to produce quality output. Ursula Jane Bogg puts it nicely that we are all proud of UPNG’s reputation of producing some of the best journalists in the country and region. But over the years, journalism training has declined due to lack of equipment for teaching. Maybe the communication minister can come to the aid of the journalism school.
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AN event to note in your calendar is the annual National Mask Festival and Warwagira scheduled for Kokopo in July. Visitors are guaranteed to experience the rich and diverse culture of Papua New Guinea, represented by the distinctive dances from a variety of provinces. On offer will be the iconic Tolai Tumbuans and Baining’s fire dance which showcase the sacred traditions and deep beliefs of the ENB indigenous people.