Get women into business, PNG told

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Marking International Women's Day, an Australia-based project is promoting development opportunities in business for women. [AFP]

Last Updated: Mon, 8 Mar 2010 17:19:00 +1100

There are concerns that a boom in liquified natural gas in Papua New Guinea could mean women become overwhelmed with extra family responsibilities.

Marking International Women's Day, an Australia-based project is promoting development opportunities in business for women, especially in agriculture.

Professor Barbara Chambers, from the University of Canberra, leads a collaborative pilot project aimed at improving the livelihoods of Papua New Guinean women in agriculture by improving their business skills.

Professor Chambers says it's vital to invest in those who play such a major role in feeding, educating and securing families.

"The Papua New Guinea government has now made its strategic objectives very clear that every aid and development and research programme must build in gender objectives," she said.

"We have the wonderful PNG Women In Agriculture organisation in Lae that has its own strategic plan and we'll be asking aid and development and research agencies to plug into their plan."