Generation Equality Forum Highlights PNG Artists’ Advocacy on GBV

They were joined by UN Resident Coordinator Gianluca Rampolla, UNDP Resident Representative Dirk Wagener, EU Ambassador Jernej Videtic, representatives for Australia and USA, Governors Allan Bird and Powes Parkop, President of the PNG Business Coalition for Women and Chairperson of the Spotlight Civil Society Reference Group.

The co-hosts shared their optimism for a future where gender equality is not a promise on paper, but a reality for women and girls across Papua New Guinea.

“Everyone hears that rhetoric of how bad gender-based violence is in PNG,” said Ms Nyamayemombe. “No one talks about our Parliamentarian champions,”

“No one talks about our artists who are putting this in the spotlight. No one talks about our musicians who are inspiring communities. No one talks about our journalists, who are writing these stories and bringing these issues to the fore.”

“There are great things happening in Papua New Guinea,” she said. “Our challenge is to start telling our stories globally and take our commitments a step higher to accelerate gender equality.”

Mr Lemoine welcomed young creators to engage with leaders and those in positions to effect change, taking the opportunity to have the difficult conversations on how the Generation Equality Forum can address the stalled progress towards gender equality. 

“Feel free, young people and young leaders, to challenge us,” said Mr Lemoine. “We owe you that.”

The Generation Equality Forum (GEF) is a global civil society centred, multi-stakeholder global gathering for gender equality, convened by UN Women and co-hosted by the governments of Mexico and France, in partnership with civil society and youth.

Given the high rates of violence against women and children, efforts for PNG will focus on the Gender based violence action coalition. In PNG there is a high momentum on addressing GBV through multi-stakeholder partnerships involving Parliamentarians, government, international organizations, development partners, civil society and youth-led organizations, as well as private sector companies and philanthropic foundations.

About the Generation Equality Forum

26 years after the landmark Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, public rhetoric has not been matched by action and implementation. Even pre-COVID, the World Economic Forum predicted it would take 257 years to close the global economic gender gap.

Through co-creation and diverse and inclusive consultations, the Generation Equality Forum will bring together feminist advocate from across the globe to foster action and renew movements for gender equality, as well as to launch a set of innovative and multi-stakeholder Action Coalitions (ACs) and a Compact for Women, Peace and Security and Humanitarian Action (WPS/HA).

To view the full Generation Equality Forum programme, visit: https://forumgenerationegalite.fr/en/programme/programme