Women in Mining meet progressing well
Melanie Vari on Mon, 28/04/2014
A three-day workshop on the progress of women in mining project areas begun this morning at the Gateway Hotel in Port Moresby.
It’s called Capacity Building of Women’s Associations on the Use of Women in Mining Small Grants Program (SGP) and facilitated by Mineral Resources Authority (MRA) and GRM International Pty Ltd.
New Guinea Islands and Southern Region women representatives of Mt Sinivit, Lihir, Simberi, Tolukuma and Ok Tedi were present with GRM Team Leader-Facilitation Ronel Fourie and her assistant Basil Peutalo and MRA Acting Manager for Sustainability Planning and Gender Coordinator Stella Brere and her team.
The first topic of discussion was on Needs Assessment – Identifying Five Top Priority Skills under the GoPNG top priority development areas.
The women sat in three groups of four women and discussed for about an hour the needs that each of their groups and communities experienced at the mine areas and how they could be addressed as per the formation of associations or groups to help them.
The three groups’ speakers included Shirley Pakali and Lucia Patai of Simberi Women in Mining and Onike Waninara of Mt Sinivit.
The women basically talked about the important roles that the executive of an association played, the constitution that guided the operations of such a group, the financing and registration of their groups and the crucial role that administration officers played to ensure that such associations were run well.
Other speakers spoke of women continuing to support their communities by carrying out awareness that would keep their menfolk and women understand what was going on around them.
Lucia Patai told the women that good governance was first on their list as good leadership ensured the survival of associations or groups.
“Women must know about their goals and visions and objectives and how to implement them.
“Capacity building also entails what’s expected of a leader and code of conducts, and how to do such things as minutes. Collectively, these things will help one to be transparent,” said Patai.
Another important point Patai emphasized was networking and its gains.
“Networking starts at home – we must gain support from our men, align our activities or goals with the National Government’s Vision 2050 and also maintain our little groups like women’s fellowship groups,” explained Patai.
She added that Project Planning was of utmost importance and the creation of resource centers and finance a just in order for women to administer their various projects.
GRM Facilitator for the session Basil Peutalo said: “The development of your people and how to strengthen your people in these areas is important.
“The Women in Mining Association was created a long time ago and has eight goals that we should use and compare with what we currently have.
“You have mentioned your needs so I want you to compare yours to what the WIMA has and see how you can be able to improve yours.
“Life in a mine site is always a struggle for women” Peutalo told PNG Edge, and said he hoped women do not fall into the same boat as their menfolk who left them out in such projects.
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