Rashmii Amoah Bell, the editor, says in her essay, ‘Embracing the dark future to see PNG emerge into the light’, that change can happen through literature. She advocates the use of writing as a tool, to explore new ground – including taboo subjects – as a means for starting conversations and looking for solutions.

This is one way PNG women can create a better and stronger PNG, by just telling our stories. Our stories may be accepted or they may be rejected but they will exist as beacons in our walk to equality. Through our stories we walk into the dark future to emerge into light.

Be bold because courage is contagious

Being bold in the face of challenges is one way women can create a better and stronger PNG because courage is contagious.

Caroline Evari relocates with her family from Port Moresby to Oro and, after a while, she returns alone to Port Moresby.

She goes through a lot of struggles but comes out a victor. She says “your mind is your greatest enemy, not the people around you.  Reach for the stars and keep running until you have achieved your goal.”

On the walk to equality, we have to be bold and courageous, because there are eyes watching.

As women, we ask for permission to do a lot of things, but the first thing we need to do is to give ourselves permission to be great.

In Madlyn Baida’s story, a village lass wants to learn to read and write and get an education. She allows herself to dream. Once she knows her dream, she sees the opportunities. Her husband provides support and enables to achieve her freedom.

Be good at what you do because that is the currency that will take women’s voice to the table for negotiations

To create a better and stronger PNG, we need to get more women into decision-making positions so that they may show favourable consideration to women as they walk to equality.

There is an adage that says, ‘if you are good at what you do, you will serve before Kings’. Do something with your life.

Be good at something. It does not matter what you do or whether you are as young as Iriani Wanma, the author of the grasshopper story, or middle aged or somewhere in between. If you are good you will be favoured. And when you are recognised, make use of your position to address the plight of the sisterhood.

We already have many role models who have done just that. Women can always match the stride of the society.  Some of these prominent PNG women include Winifred Kamit, Finckewe Zurenuo, Jane Mogina, Betty Lovai and the late Judge Davani, whose tribute can be seen in the anthology.

I am as proud of the sisterhood at the Division of Education in Simbu as told by Roslyn Tony. Despite a lot of pushback from a paternalistic society, these women acted with integrity and transparency and were eventually accepted as leaders in their communities.

We have to be responsible for the sisterhood

Even if women make up 50% of the population, we are treated as a minority due to our positions in the community. We have a duty of care to stand up for our sisters.

“If only I could save you, you’d still have a heartbeat.”  This eerie phrase from Vanessa Gordon’s poem ‘Drum Beat’ is haunting. It is full of regret. We have to take action to help a sister and the children and the helpless.

To help our sisters we have to know our rights.  Dominica Are tells the story of how Pauline saved her life by walking away from a bad situation because she knew her rights. Not many women have that knowledge.

It is our duty to teach as well as mentor other woman to be the best.  Alurigo does that with the ‘XOX: We are Champions’ group. It does not have to be on the national stage but at our own little spheres of influence.

We have to support any form of education. The most inspiring story I read was by Alphonse Huvi from West New Britain.  Her father was against her education and did not make resources available.

But, through support from her auntie Oripa, Alphonse became a teacher and was eventually accepted by her father. We have a duty to support our girls to get an education.

Too big a work for women alone – patriarchy can help

Patriarchy can play a big role to helping women build a better and stronger PNG.

In the anthology, there are six stories that pay tribute to patriarchy for being the source of strength for women. This shows the important role of the male gender in helping women in our walk to equality.

Helen Anderson in her essay, ‘Mixed-race Meri Markham’, pays tribute to her male relatives for helping her fit into society. Emma Wapki also pays tribute to her male relatives for being fair, loving and supportive

The fine story by Alurigo on ‘Sir Dawanicura’ is an example of leaders leading by example. He has brought a family friendly atmosphere to the PNG Olympics Committee.

Family is the basic building block of society if we do not lead with wisdom and flexibility in these changing times, we will contribute to the breakdown in family, which will lead to breakdown in society and eventually breakdown in the nation.

The society will not change until the family changes

Families are the cornerstone of societies.  We learn how to be function as members of society by learning from within our family circles. We build from strength to strength when we have a stable roots.  A stable family can be the base for creating a better and stronger PNG.

Florence Jonduo  talks about parenting children says that the children are innocent, they are brought up without their permission and that is why, adults we have moral and legal obligation to look after them.  And whatever we teach them when they are young, sets them up for life.

But sometimes children turn out wrong. Whose fault is that when we observe generations of young people who have no plans for life, “the lost men” as Marlene Dee Gray Potoura describes the situation. Marlene asks a pertinent question, “Are the lost men the fault of women?”

Rosyln Tony also asks some hard questions about why things are falling apart in our society. If we honestly answer the questions, we may find that it will lead us to families and that is where we may come up with long-lasting and meaning full solutions for the problems we see in our society.

Conclusion

No women or group of women can fully address those pertinent questions single-handed. We need the help of society through policies and laws.

As we look at shaping policies for the future, I hope we all take those important decisions from the perspective of young mothers.

Lapieh Landu in her poem ‘Fear Unbearable’ writes about her fears for her baby as she contemplates the future. 

If all people responsible for creating laws can make those laws from the position of new mothers, looking at her helpless infant, then we would take all the necessary steps to secure a better future for the generation yet to come.

For we are fighting a cause that is not for us but for the future generation.

‘My Walk to Equality’ is still available from Amazon Books for $US10.53 plus postage. You can link to the page here