Empowering women at Ratavul

By HENRY TADAP OKOLE
THE fundamental roles of women today has been re-emphasized and repositioned in certain respectsin the PNG society.
Where women’s positions was supposed to be the opposite side of the same coin to their male counterparts, cultural influences and modern-day demarcations of responsibilities have attenuated that variations do exist.
However, messages – both at the international and national levels – have been ringing louder and clearer that more recognition should be accorded to the indispensable roles of womenfolk in society.
On Sunday, 18 September 2016, a United Church gathering took place at Tinganalom village of the Kokopo District, East New Britain. This was a combined service of the Ratavul Circuit, one which comprised Turagunan, Kunakunai, Ravat, Ngatur and Tinganalom villages. The guest of honour was the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Inter-government Relations, Grand Chief Sir Leo Dion.
While the combined service was a periodical activity within United Church calendar, this particular Sunday was extra special since Sir Leo, who is the Provincial Member for ENB, officiated in the ground breaking ceremony for a new women’s centre. The centre will be built next to the Ratavul United Church in Tinganalom village.
The government and churches officials joined Sir Leo as they gave glowing speeches of the pivotal contributions of women to society.
Their indispensable roles were highlighted particularly through family welfare issues, church roles and their responsibilities in the traditional society.
The Tolai society is matrilineal and therefore the women’s’ roles are highly authoritative. But perhaps the moment was meant for Reslyne Kivu, wife of Rev Enos Kivu of the Ratavul circuit, who touched the core of issues that resonated with everyone.
She spoke forcefully of the challenges that women faced as wives and mothers; the struggles to make ends meet, irking out a living out of limited resources, stresses of poverty and loneliness, fortifying the walls of broken families, comforting fatherless children and peculiar trials of illiteracy in an increasingly literate world.
Kivu went further to explain the background of the concept of a women centre. The conceptwas the initiative of the women’s fellowship, with the support of the churches within the Ratavul Circuit.
The vision was to develop or groom women to be creative, helpful, useful and resourceful. Additionally, there were accompanying objectives to the vision. The first objective was spiritual development; women must be encouraged to have personal relationships with God.
Second, there must be a central location where women can gather to learn or be trained in trades.
Third, the women centre was to serve as a recreational hub. And finally, physical development was considered important. As it was reasoned, women could learn to support each other and get to know how they each handle challenges that befa ll them respectively.
At a time when Papua New Guineans have been told yet again to refrain from carrying out acts of violence against women, it was a simple poem (in English) by Mrs Reslyne Kivu that perhaps hammered the key message home when she read it out to the congregation.
A Poem by the Ratavul Women’s Fellowship
Women, women
Women of the village
Cooking, washing, sweeping
First to rise and last to sleep, even last to eat
Caring for all, who care for you.
Women, women
Crying in childbirth, breastfeeding the young
Wiping noses, carrying small ones
Left home to mind the kids
Scolding, loving, teaching, worrying
Caring for children, who care for you.
Christ cares for you
First champion for women
Touching the unclean, raising the
fallen
Wanting to have our minds as well as our hearts
Asking for talents as followers of Him
Carrying for women, He asks us to care
Making all equal
Christ cares for you.
Indeed, everything starts with love, trust and respect – which in turn lead to care and stability within the family.