INVESTING IN WOMEN & GIRLS

Meeting with Sio women and girls in Lambutina village discussing their needs

HEAPS has a good percentage of projects which invests in women and girls. Women are the decision maker and leaders.

Women have proven to be very effective agents of change because they:

  • Spend their savings for children’s food, clothing and education.

  • Face challenges and measured risks.

  • Enjoy working as a team and supporting one another.

  • Share their enthusiasm with others.

  • Enjoy communication and networking.

  • Convert new skills and opportunities into action.

Women in the village

Women in the village

Woman carrying heavy fruit and vegetables

Woman carrying heavy fruit and vegetables

The PNG situation for women

Out of the 136 countries listed on the UNDP’s gender development index, PNG ranks at just 124, placing it in the bottom 10% of countries worldwide. Statistics that translate to a harsh reality for many women in PNG – two out of three have experienced domestic violence and 50% have experienced forced sex. (Cited Oxfam Australia www.oxfam.org.au)

Women and girls have substantially less access to health care and education services than males. Violence against women and gender-based violence (GBV) is unacceptably high, with two-thirds of women estimated to have experienced it. Women are vastly under-represented at all levels of government, limiting their power to influence public policy.

Mothers and children are dying from preventable diseases because of a lack of basic immunisation, medicines and access to health care. In the rural areas, a woman has a 1 in 25 chance of dying during pregnancy or childbirth and 1 in 13 children die before reaching the age of five. Most women in our region do not have antenatal care or check-ups. Women and babies die and many mothers are left with permanent injuries due to difficult births which are preventable. The Village Birth Attendant’s lack of skills, medical equipment and drug supply when dealing with complicated births adds to this.