PM vows to help women

PRIME Minister James Marape, pictured, says his Government will work towards ensuring women’s rights are recognised and women are given equal opportunities in business.
“As the current prime minister, I look forward to ensuring women’s rights are given total protection and women are given every opportunity in life and protected as far as contested resources are concerned, resources of school, resources of healthcare, resources of work place and more importantly, resources of private business opportunity,” he said.
Marape made the comments at the Professional Business Women’s (PBW) Club’s inaugural CEOs Independence Ball which he and wife Rachael attended at the International Convention Centre on Saturday night.
PBW, a non-governmental organisation, founded by Dame Carol Kidu and established in 1982, comprises of a group of volunteers who dedicate their time to raise funds to assist less fortunate women to complete their education through a school fee support programme.
Some of the recipients of the school fees assistant scheme were present at the ball and shared stories of their struggles in life and the impact that PBW had had on them and their lives.
Marape said he was inspired by the story of one of the recipients, Zelda John, who recently completed her secondary education at Marianville Secondary School.
John, a young woman from East Sepik, was the sixth child in a family of nine siblings abandoned by their mother and left with their father to fend for them, shared her experience of the hardship faced by her family, especially her father who looked after them and the struggles they went through.
John spoke of how she had taken on the responsibility of looking after her education as well as those of her siblings.
John said through the support of PBW, she was able to complete her secondary education and looked forward to become a teacher to assist her family.
Marape commended PBW for supporting and empowering women through education and said he was grateful to be in the company of women with such initiative.
“When I talk about this country being fair, it refers to all having equal opportunities,” Marape said.
“This country must be a country of equal opportunities and it is important for every one of us who are successful to share the blessing with others and I am happy to be in the company of a group of women who are able to share blessings with others.”