Women tell Morobe govt: We want our own market

WOMEN in Morobe province have urged the Lae city council to start planning for an alternative market for them only.
They spoke during a week-long workshop for women in the province themed “empowering women”.
The participants, led by Delilah Kelly, Loujaya Toni and Jackie Baur argued, said it was time the council and the Morobe administration put up a market for Morobean women to help them sell their food.
Ms Baur said “it was sad to see” women from Nawaeb district coming in from Situm, Bukawa, Aluki and Gobadik by farmers from the Highlands pushed them out of the main market stalls.
She said the women displayed their produce in the hot sun where they went bad quickly or they stood in the pouring rain while selling their produce.
Ms Baur said her statement was not intended to create animosity with farmers from the Highlands region.
Her point was that there was an increase in the number of farmers who brought their produce in daily.
A separate market and a separate food depot would be a better idea for women in the province, she said.
Markham MP Konie Iguan supported the call by the women describing it as “genuine and timely”.
He said he made a similar call during a Tutumang sitting last year where he urged authorities to look into creating more space at the main market area.
Mr Iguan said the city council “should seriously look into the matter” and make plans.
He said being a farmer before becoming MP, he felt the pain felt by the mothers who “stood in the scorching heat of the sun daily to sell their produce due to lack of housing space at the market”.
He said the provincial government allocated some funds in its budget to build a new market.