First woman magistrate scoring many ‘firsts’

Mege Baru has had many “firsts” in her life but serving Erima, in Port Moresby, as its first female village magistrate is perhaps the one that makes her most passionate.
But if such passion needs to be subjected to proof then Baru has only to turn to her past to show doubters why she is the pride of her community.
Baru has served as a village magistrate for over 20 years, and in most of that time that work went unrewarded. The government did not acknowledge the contribution she was making until it put her on the payroll in 2014.
And why did she carry on when she was not being paid? Her answer was simple and straight from the heart – because she believed her community trusted her.
Baru has been a community worker since 1983, when at the age of 23, after getting married, she served as a volunteer with church missionaries and became many things in her community – leader, adviser, family advocate, welfare officer; you name it she did it.
In 1984, the community encouraged her to contest a local level government seat in Chimbu and was the only woman among nearly 200 men. That she finished second in that election was a major victory.
In 1985, Baru was appointed the first chairwoman of the youth
in Maril constituency, now Gumine district, and that appointment saw the start-up of several projects – like piggery, poultry, road maintenance and trade
stores – for the Maril communities.
Baru establishment the first Gumine district women’s group in 1986 and proposed for women to have a separate office to report directly to the provincial office in Kundiawa.
From 1990-1993, Baru was the first woman elected into the boards of Gumine High and Dirima Vocational schools, in Chimbu, and became a strong advocate of students’ rights. She also pushed for the education of more women and girls.
In 1993, Baru moved with her family to Port Moresby where, at Erima, she was appointed the first female chief village court magistrate.
She left Port Moresby with her husband and family in 2002 and returned to Dirima village, in Chimbu, but returned six years later to Erima and resumed the role of village court magistrate.
Then in 2014, the big day finally arrived and the government started paying her for her work.
Has she any advice for people? Yes, she said, have self-discipline, self-respect, commitment and always be honest.