Women's Lobbying intensifies

Source - Post Courier

Women have intensified their lobbying of Members of Parliament to vote in favour of the bill to have reserved seats for women get through the first  reading in the July sitting of parliament.

Four groups of women leaders have travelled to the four regions of the country - Highlands, Southern, Islands and Momase talking to women's groups to lobby their local MPs to support the bill.

In Lae yesterday, the president of the Women In Politics (WIP) Maria Hayes, activist Dorothy Tekwi and parliamentary reporter Sarufa Haro briefed Morobe women representatives about the bill and the process of getting it passed by Parliament.

The three women leaders also advised the men to put pressure of their local MPs to support the bill.

Lae Soroptomist International executive member, Ms Nelly McLay told the women it was time they all worked together in talking to their MPs about supporting the bill.

Ms McLay said the next big challenge for the women is to find suitable candidates to contest the reserved seats for women.

She said any woman who got elected for the reserved seats had to be "10 times better than men" and must possess the best qualities and values.

Morobe Provincial Administrator Kemasang Tomala, who represented Governor Luther Wenge, told the women their journey to Parliament would be long and tough but they should stand united and focussed.