Emmanuel championing gender equality

By BOURA GORUKILA
EMMANUEL Ginis believes that gender equality is everyone’s business.
He has dedicated the past eight years of his career to improving the conditions and opportunities for women working for the country’s biggest employer: the Government.
“PNG has eight going on 10million people, half of them women. If they can’t get into positions to utilise their brains, hands and feet, it would be a huge loss (as regards) national development.”
Emmanuel, 38, is the Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) manager at the Department of Personnel Management.
He is the eldest child of Paul Ginis of Biwat, Angoram district of East Sepik, and mother Regina from West Yangoru. He has three sisters and one brother.
He completed Year 12 at Kila Kila Secondary in 2000. He graduated with a Bachelor of Education degree at the Divine Word University in 2004.
In 2015, he acquired a post-graduate Diploma in Public Policy at the Australian National University. He followed it up with a Masters in Public Administration at the University of Canberra in 2016.
He joined the Department of Personnel Management in 2006. He started as a policy officer before being promoted to his current role in 2017. His role is to create opportunities for women to take up leadership roles.
“I would like to see an equal number of men and women (in the workforce). It’s a big issue when (mostly) men are holding decision-making and management positions in the public service.”
A 2018 study estimates that women’s participation would increase Gross Domestic Product – the total value of goods produced and services provided in a year – by nearly 14 per cent.

“ PNG has eight going on 10million people, half of them women. If they can’t get into positions to utilise their brains, hands and feet, it would be a huge loss to national development.”

His interest in and focus on gender equality began in 2011 when he contributed to the development of the GESI policy – the expectations on government agencies and workers.
He traveled to districts, with the support of the PNG- Australia partnership, to educate public servants on the policy’s principles and values, and how they can be implemented in workplaces and communities.
He admits that it is not always easy to drive home the message.
“When we first mention gender equality, some argue that it’s a women’s issue (which only women should be discussing). What they don’t realise is that it is an issue everyone should be responsible for. Men have been dominating power and control in Government. We can see it (too) in our communities. So having that conversation opens their minds on how they can advocate for gender equality.”
Emmanuel is confident that the push for gender equality is building momentum, with agencies and individuals regularly getting in touch with him for more information.
“That’s a good thing because when you are inquisitive about something, that’s the start of learning. A lot of public servants want to know more. Now it’s up to us to provide that information to them in the best way possible.”
Emmanuel believes that the impact of gender equality and social inclusion will be felt more widely.
The department has held sessions on the issue for more than 500 public servants in East New Britain, Jiwaka, Madang, Manus, New Ireland, Morobe, Oro, Simbu, Western Highlands and West Sepik.
“It’s about leadership, capacity, resources and breaking through cultural barriers we have in our workplaces and communities. We are clearing a path for women to step up and be (more involved) in (national) development. It starts at home, then school, then the workplace.”