National Capital District Governor Powes Parkop and the Chairman of the Permanent Parliamentary Committee on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment, has called for the urgent acceleration of the National Gender Equality Strategy, urging government agencies and stakeholders to fast-track its implementation to fast-track women’s empowerment in the Country.
Governor Parkop made the call during a high-level briefing at Parliament House by the National Gender-Based Violence Secretariat, the National Council for Women, and the Office for the Development of Women.
The briefing updated committee members on the rollout of the GBV Strategy and the National Gender and Women’s Empowerment Policy, and on the operationalisation of the National Council of Women.
The three departments outlined their comprehensive implementation plans targeting both national and provincial levels.
Opening the meeting, Governor Parkop described gender equality strategies established by the Government, such as the GBV Strategy, as a defining milestone as Papua New Guinea prepares for its next 50 years of independence.
“This is an opportunity to reflect on our achievements, but also to challenge ourselves to do better. We must start making changes now to accelerate progress,” he said.
Governor Parkop highlighted persistent gender inequalities, noting that while women and girls make up nearly half of the country’s population, they remain underrepresented in leadership, business, and decision-making spaces.
“Half of our population is not given equal space and opportunity. That means we are failing as a country. We must allow everyone to contribute to our development,” he stressed.
He further called on the Department of Education to introduce curriculum reforms that promote behaviour change and GBV prevention from an early age.
Governor Parkop also tasked the National Women’s Council to take a leading role in guiding implementation and holding stakeholders accountable, emphasising that women’s empowerment has far-reaching benefits across all sectors.
He commended the National GBV Secretariat for developing a clear implementation roadmap and welcomed the National Government’s commitment of K180 million toward the strategy.
Governor Parkop said the GBV Strategy represents a critical turning point for Papua New Guinea and a powerful catalyst for advancing women’s empowerment nationwide.