Papua New Guinea

Gender - Women's Empowerment

Women in PNG suffer from significant gender inequality. They are less likely to be in paid employment, more likely to suffer violence and poor health, and less likely to be able to read or have gone to school than men. Women are also at greater risk than men in PNG from the country's HIV/AIDS epidemic.

As part of its commitment to the Millennium Development Goal of achieving gender equality, UNDP supports the government's attempts to redress this imbalance

The key focus areas for UNDP include reducing gender-based violence, human rights and the promotion of increased participation by women in decision-making positions through leadership training.

UNDP Papua New Guinea is promoting gender and women's empowerment through the following project:

Women in Leadership: This project is encouraging women to play an increasing role in politics and increase their participation in mainstream decision making. In 2009, the government officially endorsed allowing three Nominated Seats in the National Parliament for the March seating - thanks in large part to the efforts of this project. This project is on-going until 2012.

Factsheet | Annual Workplan | Financial Disbursements and Funding

Gender Based Violence (managed through the crisis prevention programme): The project is supporting the Department for Community Development as it tries to implement a number of legal and social measures across a broad range of communities to protect women and children from violence of all kinds. This project is on-going until 2012.

Fact Sheet | Annual Workplan | Financial Disbursements and Funding

For the latest expenditure figures for each project, go to our funding page