In order to support the Papua New Guinea (PNG) Women in Maritime Association, the Department of Transport renewed its corporate membership to this association, in which it has been a member since its inception in 2007 and will continue to be involved in the association’s executive membership.
Speaking at the Third Domestic Ship Safety Forum,the Second Regional Conference for Pacific Women in Maritime and the Regional Workshop on Ship Safety Management Systems and the International Safety Management (ISM) Code, Transport and Infrastructure Minister, Westly Nukundj, said that as part of the transportation working group, the government supported a two year (2016-2018) pilot project in the country. This project aimed to educate on how strategies could be applied to attract more women in the transport sector.
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This is an attempt by the country to comply with the UN Sustainable Goals. Especially, these policies are responding to the United Nation’s sustainable development goal 5. This goal wants to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
PNG National Transport Strategy Plan 2014-2018 wants to achieve just that; the promotion of the nation’s gender equity objectives, by encouraging of women’s participation in the transport sector, local media reported.
As Papua New Guinea is on of the biggest maritime nations in the Pacific region, Mr. Nukundj said that the maritime administration has to promote high maritime safety standards, prevent marine pollution and coordinate maritime search and rescue.
Finally, women in maritime are contributing greatly to the maritime transport sector. This was the message of Helen Buni from IMO’s gender program as she opened the second regional conference for Pacific Women in Maritime held in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, from 26 – 28 of April.
