Women working for equality, development, peace and security

in Pacific/PNG

Pacific Island region/ legacy and contemporary conflict: WW2 ‘theatre’, Japanese occupation, military bases, post war nuclear testing and current asylum seeker

‘dumping’

Pacific Islands sub-region ( Silent ‘P’ in the Asia-Pacific region)

Polynesia: colonial mining & post colonial & nuclear tests

Micronesia: militarisation/nuclear testing, dependence on ‘military aid’ for US bases,

to detain asylum seekers struggle for sovereignty

Melanesia (85% total pop)Resource rich countries with poorest development

indicators Economies based on extractive industries & payments to ‘detain’ asylum seekers from Afghanistan, Iraq,

Syrian and Sri Lankan conflicts

Papua New Guinea• 130 years of colonisation, 40 years of independence• Massive cultural diversity ( highlands/coastal contrast)• Dependence on extractive industries• Mass resource exploration/exploitation• Environment polluted, agriculture neglected• Puts money and other power into men’s hands• Worsens women’s low status• First generation cash economy, fuels greed and new,

violent expressions of Patriarchy

War & peace

• Cultural diversity ( 830 languages) • Different cultures/history/ development experiences• Forced Pacification(Colonial Coastal transformation) • Enduring localised Tribal fighting ( Highlands

region ,exacerbated by extractive industries and commodification of land and availability of guns.

• Patriarchy in many forms: trend towards exaggeration, generalisation of a distorted ant-woman highlands culture

Under-development & conflict• Poor service delivery/infrastructure: education &

health delivery • High levels of violence & conflict: Law &justice not

accessible• no social welfare system/services, no recognition/

support for informal economy: no adult education• Guns everywhere: Highlands/cross border drugs for

guns trade/ limited disarmament in B’ville• Major cities ‘ most unlivable’ with private security

boom /dual economy of extremes fuelled by LNG (massive MNC gas exploitation in very remote areas)

Other players

• Massive Asian investment in logging, fishing and major EIs: land &resource grab (growing over 30 years)

• ‘Development Industry’ (consultants in emerging markets) & donors heavily involved

• Civil society struggles to maintain peace serve citizens: under-resourced, torn between tackling macro issues/local social & economic development, peace an justice

State accountability on gender equality, development & peace

• Weak participation in global (regional) human rights, peace and security processes

• 1325 etc. not known by government• State denial/ low prioritisation of poverty/conflict/gender-based

violence / state violence• Late ratification of human rights treaties, poor localization, realization,

monitoring, reporting• Weak, discontinuous machinery for women• CEDAW/CRC reporting dependent on consultants/donor funded/driven• Likewise policy and legislative change ( UN, Australian government, EU )• Low participation of women in politics• Local economy based on women’s agriculture-based production and

trade ( Extractive Industry revenues do not flow to benefit the majority)

Civil society

• Weak, under-resourced, lack national networks, solidarity, knowledge and resource sharing

• Very high cost of doing business• Aid dependence: Donors work through INGOs as

intermediaries• Marginalized by local and national government• Very limited dialogue with govt.• Some regional/global contacts/connections (few visit PNG)• Tyranny of distance and high costs/inevitable dispruption of

work/lives at home

Women’s movement / WPS

• Weak national movement - insufficient attention to critical issues of GEEW/GBV/conflict/human security

• Rights based development and localisation of global human rights/WP mechanisms led by dynamic groups emerging in conflict-affected regions

• Women peace: 20 years Networks and co-training• makers / Human rights defenders orgs more connected• Good analysis and naming of the problem: IDPs, GBV/IDP, conflict and

local economy/markets etc.• donors and INGOs capture knowledge- little local knowledge/tools

shared• Research findings remain in academic realm. Seminars use

mystifying/alienating academic language. • Great need educate, translate research results and education on Human

Rights and WPS/ SCRs relevant to local context and accessible, engaging adn mobilising popular media

Learning lessons fromPNG conflict

Bougainville:• Local landowner protest shut down mine for 25 years. • 10 year civil war. 15,000 deaths, loss of infrastructure, divided

people• Peace and disarmament led by women, but marginilised in

formalie peace processes• Years of crisis / state &non-state criminality witnessed and

challenged by women (Letana Nehan WDA, Nazarene Centre, B’ville Women’s Federation)

• Reconciliation male- focused and incomplete• Focus on referendum of autonomy and whether to re-open mine

Diverse conflicts related to large-scale resource extraction

Porgera• Rural, un-developed Highlands society. • Fly in/fly out/ high security enclave mining• Extractive industries and cash raise stakes and style of conflict ( gun

trade) • Landowner conflict based on a grab for crumbs / extreme• Polygamy rife and exaggerated – cruel, violent, gross neglect and abuse

of women and children• Mining companies pay for peace and stability /merely postpones the

local conflict• violence against local men and women by mine security and state

police associated with the mine.• Corporate/World Bank Women in Mining programs misguided,

superficial (welfare model, grant giving/ welfarist and silencing women)

Contemporary PNG Highlands Society

• Huge social impact of mining on Highlands highway: child brides. Polygamy, orphans of polygamy, HIV& AIDS

• Persistent tribal fighting/purchase of arms• Local women’s NGOs ( Kup Women for peace/Voice

for Change/ Human Rights defenders) responding, educating, peacemaking

• Still on margins, finding new ways to work (e.g preventive, with Local government)

• but overwhelmed by enormity / severity of problem:

Other mine sites: blinded by the promise of billions

• Ok Tedi: pollution, poverty // state/corporate conflict

• Ramu Nickel: pollution / conflict with civil society

• Liquified Natural Gas ‘to transform PNG’ incrreasinginequality and insecurity across the country. Landowners arming

Way forward

• Document more what women have done• Support women documenting own/ women’s lives

(model of ‘beneath paradise grass roots women’s documentation for Beijing)

• Support ongoing (not one-off) connection/communication

• Share knowledge / materials/popular education method * utilise galvanising media like song, theatre, visuals, audio visuals.

• Direct ( pee- to-peer) not led by intermediaries/donors

Suggested Strategies

• Break the Pacific/Australia link, dependence• Build more Asia/Pacific mutual understanding trust,

cooperation with Asia• Understand the links with extractive industries/

Asian investments.• Make critical information issues of women, peace

and security (more) accessible and locally relevant• Look for creative alternatives: e.g rival of traditional

women-led Barter/Peace markets in rural areas of PNG