No woman in cabinet, PM says respect still there

By LULU MAGINDE
PRIME Minister James Marape says there is no difference between women or men leaders as Papua New Guineans have always respected women.
Responding to why Rai Coast Open MP Kessy Sawang was not offered a ministry, he encouraged Papua New Guineans not to follow Western standards of gender.
“I encourage Papua New Guineans to think away from this Western concept of gender rights.
“I acknowledge that we have instances of abuse but PNG has always given great prominence to our women,” he said.
Marape said that in the mix of cabinet distribution, he had already appointed two ministers from Madang and so Sawang did not make the mix but that he had consulted with her and that she was ready to offer her services. He observed that 30 per cent of PNG was a predominantly matrilineal society and that it had women leaders since 1978.
“Speaking on behalf of the ministers here, we represent all our women so let’s not make gender an issue all the time.
“We will step up and carry up women. All of us have wives, sisters and daughters,” he said.
“I’ve made it one of my objectives in the next 10 years, I want to make Boroko safe for my daughter to walk around at night.
“If I deliver this in the next 10 years then for me that is one of the truest measures of my contribution to our country.”
Marape reassured women by pointing out that just because no women were in cabinet, did not mean that the ministers and the MPs, would not be representing the interests of the women.