PNG Business Coalition For Women

12/06/2026

Today we delivered a free, one-hour education session with staff from the Department of Treasury focused on Understanding Family and Sexual Violence (FSV).

FSV is a critical human rights issue and a deeply prevalent social challenge in Papua New Guinea, where statistics show that 2/3 of women and 1/5 of men experience this form of violence.

Addressing FSV requires breaking the silence and understanding that survivors often face complex, severe barriers—such as economic dependency, cultural dynamics, and social isolation.

During this session, we unpacked the vital role that workplaces and legislative frameworks play in addressing this crisis.

Key areas covered included:
- 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗲: FSV is a serious crime punishable under PNG law. We highlighted the roles of the Family Protection Act 2013 (covering physical, emotional, and financial abuse), the Lukautim Pikinini Act 2015 (protecting minors), and the Cyber Crime Act (addressing digital harassment).

- 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆: Creating respectful workplaces brings measurable institutional value—fulfilling an employer’s vital duty of care, improving staff wellbeing, and driving stronger, sustainable organisational performance.

- 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁: We reinforced the importance of utilizing internal grievance processes and HR contact points , alongside critical external pathways like the 1 Tok Kaunselin Helpim Lain (7150 8000) and Bel Isi Case Management.

A huge thank you to the Department of Treasury team for their active participation, openness, and commitment to fostering a culture of safety and respect.

10/06/2026

Seema Dass-Raju is a corporate and governance professional based in Papua New Guinea with experience in the finance and superannuation sector and in private sector board leadership.

She is currently the Chair of the Board of the PNG Business Coalition for Women (BCFW), a private sector organisation that works with member companies in Papua New Guinea to improve gender equality in the workplace and support more women into leadership roles.

Dass-Raju has been part of the BCFW Board since 2022. During her time on the board, she has been involved in governance, oversight, and strategic decision-making for the organisation. In 2026, she was appointed Chair of the Board, taking on responsibility for leading the organisation and guiding its work with member companies across different industries.

Her professional background includes experience in the finance and superannuation sector in Papua New Guinea. Her career has involved roles that focus on corporate operations, governance, compliance, and stakeholder engagement in large member-based organisations.

Through both her professional career and her board role, she has developed experience in leadership, financial oversight, and organisational governance. This includes working in environments that require strong accountability and structured decision-making.

At the PNG Business Coalition for Women, she supports programs and initiatives that encourage companies to improve workplace policies, increase women’s participation in the workforce, and strengthen pathways for women into leadership positions.

BCFW is a member-based organisation made up of companies operating in Papua New Guinea. It works directly with the private sector to promote inclusive workplace practices and improve gender equality outcomes across industries.

As Chair, Dass-Raju now leads the board in setting direction, supporting member engagement, and overseeing the organisation’s programs and partnerships.

Her appointment reflects continuity within the organisation, as she moves from board member to board leader, continuing her involvement in its mission to improve opportunities for women in the workplace across Papua New Guinea.

09/06/2026

Employee Spotlight!

As our hardworking and dedicated Finance and Administration Manager, Jemimah specialises in operational excellence—ensuring our resources are managed with the highest integrity to fuel our mission. From meticulously overseeing financial systems to keeping our daily operations running smoothly, her sharp eye for detail and unwavering reliability keep our organisation strong, stable, and ready to make an impact. Jemimah’s dedication behind the scenes is what makes our advocacy and the work we do possible.

Join us in celebrating Jemimah and the vital work she does!

09/06/2026

𝗔𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗕𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗿: 𝗦𝗲𝗲𝗺𝗮 𝗗𝗮𝘀𝘀-𝗥𝗮𝗷𝘂!

We are thrilled to officially announce the appointment of Seema Dass-Raju as the new Chair of our Board.

Seema is a familiar and highly respected face within our network, having served dedicatedly on our board since 2022. Her deep understanding of our mission, combined with her extensive expertise, makes her the perfect leader to guide us into our next chapter of growth and impact.

As we step into this exciting new season, we also want to take a moment to express our immense gratitude to our outgoing Chair, Lesieli Taviri, for her incredible years of visionary leadership and dedication.

Please join us in giving Seema a warm welcome as she takes on this new role!

08/06/2026

Senior Executive Women's Program

Participant Feedback

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗘𝗪 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺?

"𝘔𝘺 𝘣𝘪𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦:
- 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙋𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙈𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙨𝙚𝙩: 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘸𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴.
- 𝙃𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙘 𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥: 𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘬 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘨𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘴𝘵𝘺𝘭𝘦𝘴—𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘮𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦.
- 𝙉𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙜𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚: 𝘋𝘦𝘦𝘱-𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘨𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳.
𝘈𝘣𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭, 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘱 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱."

~Mimi Murray
Head of Information & Communication Technology - NCSL Savings & Loan

05/06/2026

04/06/2026

Poroman Walkabaut Wantaim: Men as Allies for Change

𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄
Poroman Walkabaut Wantaim is a transformative initiative designed to engage men as proactive allies in the pursuit of workplace equity. By fostering a culture of shared responsibility, the program equips men with the tools to advocate for inclusive practices, challenge unconscious biases, and support the advancement of women across all levels of the organisation.

𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗢𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀
Active Allyship: Empowering men to move from passive support to active advocacy for their female colleagues.

𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Building a respectful and safe workplace environment where everyone can thrive.

𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽: Training male leaders to mentor and sponsor diverse talent effectively.

𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀: Strengthening organizational performance through gender-balanced decision-making.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝘀 𝗔𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀?
Meaningful change requires collective action. This program provides a platform for men to lead by example, demonstrating that workplace equity is not just a "𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯’𝘴 𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘦," but a business and social priority. By participating, you become part of a movement that builds stronger, more respectful, and more productive teams.

04/06/2026

𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀: 𝗔 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸

𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄
The Respectful Workplaces Model Policy and Implementation Package provides a comprehensive framework for organizations to cultivate a culture of safety, dignity, and mutual respect. This package offers essential policy templates and practical implementation guides required to eliminate harassment and foster a supportive environment for all employees.

𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗢𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀
𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Establishing clear, rigorous guidelines to prevent workplace harassment and discrimination.

𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆 & 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲: Ensuring all staff operate in a secure environment that meets modern legal and ethical standards.

𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆: Promoting values of inclusivity and accountability at every level of the organisation.

𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Providing step-by-step toolkits for leaders to launch and sustain respectful workplace practices.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹?
A respectful workplace is the foundation of high performance and employee retention. By adopting this package, organisations demonstrate a commitment to the well-being of their workforce, ensuring that every individual feels valued and protected. It transforms policy from a document into a lived culture of professional excellence.

"𝘈 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘺 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘱𝘶𝘵, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘵."

04/06/2026

Making Public Transport Safer for Everyone in Lae City

Safe, accessible, and reliable public transport is essential for economic participation and community well-being. The Lae Seif Komuniti Trenspot Initiative is a targeted response to the safety challenges faced by commuters—particularly women and girls—in public transport spaces.

Guided by a dedicated Technical Working Group this initiative is driving real, measurable solutions to address critical vulnerabilities identified in our recent commuter safety survey.

Key Project Milestones:

Data-Driven Insights: Analysing comprehensive survey findings to address high-risk locations and commuter concerns.

Enhanced Surveillance: Infrastructure upgrades, including strategic CCTV installations at major bus stops and transit hubs to deter crime and improve response times.

Collaborative Action: Multi-stakeholder coordination to build a sustainable, gender-smart safety model for urban transport.

We are proud to collaborate with our partners in this important initiative.

To learn more the Lae Seif Komuniti Trenspot Initiative, contact [email protected] or call (+675) 7459 3108.