Manus women join men to manage community resources

WOMEN in Manus have joined forces with the men to manage community resources.
The formation of the Women in Conservation Network sets the standard for this work and more women have been called on to support the initiative.
Women in Conservation Network coordinator in Manus, Jenny Sogan, said the idea to form this network was to give opportunity to women to take part.
Sogan, a participant at the Learning and Training Network Workshop at Loniu last week, said most of the conservation work had been carried out by men and community-based organisations that were initiated by men.
“There are so many women out there who can be useful in conservation work and we would like to utilise our skills and talents,” she said.
 “Women have an important role in the livelihood of their families and it is only proper to involve them because they will become better home makers.
“We would like women to be involved so that they can better manage their resources which will benefit their families.
“Women have the solutions to problems in our homes and likewise we can manage these important resources for us and our future generations.
“With the idea of Learning and Training Network now being introduced, it further strengthens our work because the idea of sharing and learning helps us do our work effectively.
“It’s important because in areas that we are lacking and we can learn from the success stories of other women and be able to improve.
“Now that this network for women has been formed, we urge all women to come and be a part of this great network,” Sogan said
Ruth Francis, a member of the Women in Conservation Network, said the Learning and Training Network was an important tool to enable the communities to learn.
“The network will bring us together to discuss issues, learn about each other, the challenges and solutions to take back to our communities.
“Every community has different challenges and problems.
“The idea of learning and sharing will enable us to exchange ideas and help improve our lives,” Francis said.