(THE NATIONAL) — A major conference for Pacific women opened Tuesday, uniting senior ministers from countries around the region.
But PNG’s Community Development, Youth and Religion Minister Wake Goi told The National that he would not be participating in the 14th triennial conference of Pacific Women because the notice reached him too late and he was still in his electorate.
“Any important meeting’s notice must reach me two weeks prior to lock in the dates,” he said.
Nevertheless, he said this was an important event which PNG was committed to supporting and the acting secretary or a representative in the department would attend.
Human rights and social development director at the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) Miles Young said: “PNG fully supports the priorities of the triennial” and that all SPC members were invited to attend. Ministers from several countries including Australia, Fiji, Tonga and Palau provided remarks at the launch of the conference yesterday, which was hosted by French Polynesia (Tahiti) and provides a forum for important consultations that aim to improve gender equality in the Pacific.
Due to Covid-19 travel restrictions, the event is being held virtually with more than 1,000 participants registered to attend, including representatives from the Government and women’s groups in the country.
Young announced that the theme of the conference “Our Ocean, our heritage – empowering all women in the blue Pacific continent” was in line with three priority areas, which were women’s economic empowerment, gender responsive climate justice and gender-based violence in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.
He said the triennial conference allowed decision-makers from the Government to gather with civil society organisations, academics and others.
The ministerial meeting, which will be held next Tuesday will review agreements made at the conference so countries can adopt specific outcomes to support gender equality.
“This work is for all women and girls in the Pacific,” Fiji’s Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation Mereseini Vuniwaqa said.
