More women MPs needed to fight corruption in PNG

Transcript

With only three women currently in Parliament out of 111 MPs, the intending candidate for Central Province, Rufina Peter says more women in the House would reduce political corruption.

   "I think having more women in politics and in parliament will be a start towards minimising or reducing the levels of corruption in government. Female politicians will be more concerned about being more transparent and accountable to hold leaders to account for certain decisions that they make while holding public office."

The intending candidate for the Gumine Open electorate Dr Susan Apa says women posses the qualities needed for transparent governance.

   "In women there in general there is a straight and in-built character to be good managers in the home and to ensure that the people who are entrusted to care for, they are usually getting the kind of services that they are supposed to. With that kind of service provision and accountability - women can take that into parliament, that can be done."

Fifty women from over 200 applicants were chosen to take part in the Practice Parliament and the UN development programme's Julie Bukikun says today they can test their debating skills.

   "So we are dividing the women into the government and the opposition, then we will have a draft deal presented. The topic that we will be looking at, the gun control in Papua New Guinea, which is a real-life issue which will give them a real sense of what happens when we are in parliament."

Julie Bukikun says for her the success of the Practice Parliament will be measured by the number of women elected to public office.