Tekwie calls for creation of women ministry

Woman activist Dorothy Tekwie has re- echoed the need for the government to create a women's ministry in Parliament.

She made the call last week at the Momase Regional Development Forum in Madang.

"Since Independence, we have never had a women's ministry in Parliament, although we have the biggest number of ministries in the world.

"Women have sacrificed a lot for this country, yet we have been overlooked by successive governments.

"I have written two separate letters to government; the first to the former Peter O'Neil and Charles Abel Government, and one to the current Prime Minister James Marape, requesting for a separate ministry for women. At that time, there were only 27 ministries.

"Now we have 38 ministries, plus all the shadow ministers, and yet they is no delivery," she said.

Ms. Tekwie said women leaders around the country have put together another write-up calling for a political structural reform that must accommodate a women's ministry.

A copy of the document was presented to the Director of Reset PNG and former Deputy Prime Minister Charles Abel.

Highlighting the importance and relevance of women to development, Ms. Tekwie stated, "You can try to drive this nation, but when you leave women out, you will have malnutrition. You will have a malnourished people because the mothers don't know how. Because you haven't put money into their education."

She further stated that whilst PNG has the highest number of ministries in Parliament, women have never been seriously considered. Even the youths who constitute almost half of the country's population and who will be the future leaders of this country are being left out.

"Even Jesus Christ was born of a woman. God recognised her. But you PNG politicians, you don't recognise our women since Independence," she said.

Speaking in Tok Pisin, Ms Tekwie added, "Yumi gat ministry blo ol ston, blo gas, blo pis, blo diwai, blo kau, blo oil palm, na blo olgeta samting. Tasol mipla nogat ministry blo ol meri. Ol mama ya ol karim yumi olgeta ya.

"You think of those mothers and see what they have done to you, and now you are in this room. You are in this room because of those mothers. They have sacrificed a lot for us, and what are you going to do. In the next 20 years, are you going to give these women a chance?"