Happy First Anniversary The PNG Woman
It was on this day a year ago (01 November, 2016) that I started this blog. My very first post was about the unlawful spending of K10.5 billion in the 2016 National Budget by the O’Neill Government. To date, that issue has been swept under the carpet.
That Tuesday, I attended the Budget Press Lockup as a private citizen after 17 years of working with the Government. I will always remember two things that happened that day. I discovered the constitutional breach of the illegal spending of K10.5 billion and I won my biggest ever multibet on the Melbourne Cup from a small wager of $100 placed online at Sportsbet.
Well, a lot has happened for me in the last twelve months. So much I’d say, and I’ve changed a lot, too. Thanks to the challenges of being a woman in Papua New Guinea and running for public office in the 2017 national elections. I neglected this blog as I needed some “time out” and “me time”.
I’m back
I managed to get my old laptop working again so I’ll be posting articles on this site. I was hoping those people who said they were from the Media Development Initiative or Voices for Accountability, whatever project it was, who promised me a laptop would help me but I did not hear from them again. Sighs!
I’ve changed the theme of the website and I’m learning to make the site better for user experience. Please do give your feedback below.
Apart from the boring fiscal stuff, I’ll also be writing about my experiences in the 2017 National General Elections, especially for those students from tertiary institutions who have been messaging me on Facebook for my story. I love and appreciate you all.
Thank you all for your love and support.
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Hi PNG Woman. Great that you are back. Look forward to your insightful and detailed analysis of the 2018 Budget later this month. Your comments will be filled with keen observation and an ability to put the details into a bigger picture – good for the people of PNG. And would love to hear more about that tough journey as a women candidate in the corrupted 2017 election process. Paul Flanagan (PNG Economics)
Hi Paul, many thanks. Of course it was the most corrupted election compared to previous ones where we voted freely and fairly. Women and girls lost in the end, without representation and a voice in this so-called democracy. The rules of the political game and culture in PNG is determined by the men. The emerging and fast-changing (and getting more expensive!) money politics not only creates a conducive eco-system for corruption but makes the playing field uneven and more challenging for women. I kind of had post-election depression, especially after the formation of the Government in August. I haven’t been active on social media nor on this blog as well.