Group supports women in education

 THE Port Moresby Business and Professional Women (BPW) club aims to build a strong network and support for women in education, president Susil Nelson says.

She said since its establishment the club was able to provide more than K1 million through its scholarship programme that had seen more than 1600 girls further their education in different professional fields.

Speaking at a Business and Professional Women breakfast yesterday to celebrate International Women’s Day, Nelson said last year BPW awarded 391 scholarships valued at more than K215,000 for women and girls, enrolled in over 24 institutions in the country. She said the club’s partnership with Exxon Mobil’s Women in Energy network had enabled BPW to award further six scholarships last year totalling to K24,911 under the scholarship for women.

The scholarship is named after Dorothy (Decie) Autin who in her role as project executive for the ExxonMobil led Papua New Guinea LNG (liquefied natural gas) project was responsible for the planning, development and execution of all aspects of the PNG LNG Project.

Launched in 2014, the scholarship aims to provide five scholarships each year for women studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics in the country.

Nelson said the support to education for women and girls in the country was Business and Professional Women’s contribution to gender parity, made through a small group of women who volunteer their time to ensure the success of the scholarship programme.

Each applicant of the scholarship is assessed on an individual basis of the criteria being grades, family financial status and recommendation from teachers.