Women’s economic empowerment in New Ireland Province

What specific change happened? What types of change does the story illustrate (transformative processes and/or outcomes)? Consider positive and/or negative, as well as intended and/or unintended, direct and/or indirect outcomes brought about from your project.

The approximately 80 female participants from 3 wards who attended Project trainings on the production of soap and facemask and reusable pad sewing are proud of their new skills, feel empowered and are actively pursuing this as a new source of income in their villages.

Women from Luaupul community (Ward # 11), have reported selling products at the New Ireland Independence Day celebrations and have used the income generated to re-purchase raw materials. The financial details are not yet documented but the Project calculated cost basis per soap bar is 20Toya (100 Toya per Kina), with a selling price 2 Kina per bar. This is a ten times mark up on cost basis (excluding labour) and includes payment of virgin coconut oil that is expected to be sourced within communities or produced by the women themselves. The prospects for profit and perhaps also a change in how women and men make household and community financial decisions, are real.

Who is the target group benefiting from the change (e.g. women, people with disability, sexual and gender minorities, and other socially excluded group/s)?

The Project training is for women in the target communities. These women are the direct beneficiaries of the training activities of the Projects, however, the introduction of new skills into rural communities benefits the broader community by improving access to the hygiene materials produced and sold and improving the local economy.

Who was involved in bringing about the change? Consider the role/s and relationship/s of actors directly and/or indirectly involved as well as those who may have enabled, facilitated, supported in some way as well as those who may have hindered or blocked change.

The Live & Learn PNG project staff have been instrumental in organising and facilitating trainings for women in rural communities. The Provincial Council of Women and its respective Ward chapters have been engaged in the Project, helping to identify influential and active women in target areas to assist with mobilising women in the community and organising the trainings.

These key women leaders in communities have also used their influence to ensure good attendance and motivation of participating women at the trainings despite competing priorities such as school graduation ceremonies.

What is causing the change? What relative role did your project play in bringing about the change? What other factors may have had an influence? Consider the interaction between your project and other factors in bringing about the change/s?

The Project is introducing new skills in soap making, facemask and reusable pad sewing to women in communities. The training aims to empower women through both increased confidence and skills and by providing alternate income streams to create some financial independence. The Project provided the raw materials during the training as a form of ‘start-up capital’ that was donated to the women for their collective venture.

COVID-19 has disrupted the income streams of many rural women whose livelihood was made selling cooked and raw food at roadside stalls. This disruption provides motivation for women to consider diversifying their income streams. At the same time COVID-19 related hygiene campaigns have increased demand for soap as well as facemasks, and travel restrictions have reduced people’s access to supplies from urban centres.

What is it specifically about this change you have identified that is especially significant for your project? How prevalent is this type of change in your project area; and how did you determine that prevalence?

Women’s empowerment and financial independence is the most significant aspect of this training.

Women’s participation in the training aimed to build their confidence and agency as well as a new source of income, while addressing hygiene supply accessibility in rural communities.

The majority of money-making activities in the villages/rural areas usually involves both men and women (e.g. Cocoa fermenting, copra, fishing etc.). Due to social norms, this then provides men with dominant decision making power over how household money is spent. The Project’s activities provide women with independent income streams where women may have more control over the use of those funds.

According to the LLEE PNG Gender Officer, participating women are feeling more agency to speak up in a male-dominated society and says that, with income and new skills, men will be more likely to recognise them as equal partners at the household and community levels when they are empowered through such activities. The interest generated from the training indicates the women’s willingness in learning something new that is targeted specially for them.

These activities have been implemented in the recent months, so progress remains limited to 4 communities from 3 wards. However, the positive response of participants and the examples shared from some participants provide positive examples that will, hopefully, be replicated across multiple communities. These positive success stories will be shared to further motivate change as more detailed monitoring is conducted in future.

How do you know that this change has occurred? Identify any evidence to demonstrate this change and any gaps or assumptions that you have made in determining the contribution of your project and activities.

The women from the Luaupul community (Ward # 11), in New Ireland Province, who attended the training in late 2020 sold soap and face masks during PNG’s Independence Day celebrations. The money earned was used to purchase additional materials for more soap making and facemasks. This story was conveyed to the Live & Learn PNG team who checked in with participants of the training during a subsequent community rural water safety planning (RWSP) workshop conducted in their community.

Identify any other surprises or learnings that came about in this process?

The high levels of women’s enthusiasm to embrace this opportunity has been surprising and heartening. Although we are in the 21^st century, the cultural beliefs and expectations of PNG society restrict the way women live; and it is through such trainings that will empower and motivate women’s roles and place in society to improve.

The women’s agency and ownership of the project is exemplified by their independent and entrepreneurial initiative to add local herbs (moringa and pawpaw) into the soap mixture. These local oils are used in traditional treatment of skin diseases. The WfW Project is providing the “right” support and training for women in communities and is enabling them to independently help themselves in their communities.