Female Member Joins Parliament, Giving a Voice to Millions of Women

A woman will join the parliament of Papua New Guinea (PNG) for the first time in a decade – serving as the eighth female Member of Parliament in the country’s history.

“Rufina is intelligent. She stands for everything we call democracy and good governance,” explains Dr Orovu Sepoe, a political scientist and expert on women’s activism in PNG. “Her win is a plus for PNG and all women after the disappointing drought following the 2017 election.”

Rufina Peter, a 52-year-old economist, first ran for governor in 2017. By 2022, she had become governor of PNG as a member of the People’s National Congress Party, defeating the sitting member, Robert Agarobe. A total of 167 women stood as candidates in 2022, and only Peter won her seat – one of 118 – putting an end to a five-year all-male rule. Peter is acclaimed for effectively convincing her people to break tradition and trust her leadership, ultimately encouraging other women to get involved in politics.