POLITICAL PARTIES URGED TO BACK 10% WOMEN IN NGE27

CAPTION: Registrar for Political Parties Emmanuel Pok, speaking at the sixth Political Parties Expo in Port Moresby today

BY NIGEL MADO

POLITICAL Parties in Papua New Guinea are being challenged to commit to greater female representation in the 2027 National General Election, with Registrar for Political Parties Emmanuel Pok saying proposed amendments could require parties to endorse at least 10 percent women candidates.

Speaking at the sixth Political Parties Expo in Port Moresby, Pok said the proposed provision in the revised Organic Law on the Integrity of Political Parties and Candidates would formally recognise women’s participation in national politics.

He said a party endorsing 20 candidates, for example, would be required to have at least two women candidates, with penalties proposed for parties that fail to comply.

Pok urged political parties to sign a gender-equality pledge and begin identifying, developing and supporting female leaders well before the 2027 election.

He said the responsibility should not rest solely with legislation, but also with political parties as institutions responsible for grooming and developing the country’s future leaders.