Women urged to be equal partners

By SALLY TIWARI
WOMEN have been advised to refrain from using the proposed 22 reserved parliamentary seats as a way to get even with men.
Dr Vele Pat Tuaru, the associate director of the University of Papua New Guinea Open College, urged women to “create mutual cooperation and participation” rather than competition while pushing for the 22 seats.
She said the focus should be on men and women working together as politicians and there were women capable of doing that.
Tuaru urged parliamentarians to support the Women’s Bill which was expected to be put to the vote today.
She said that apart from implementing Vision 2050, the passing of the Bill would:
lMake a difference on health issues affecting women;
lImplement integral human development;
lImplement the United Nations goals and gender policies; andlEnsure and sustain policies for the future generation to avoid harassment and violence.
The proposed law, if passed, would allow women to contest for 22 seats that are exclusively for them – not appointed to them as deemed by many.