ExxonMobil PNG empowering women leaders

Port Moresby: Two Papua New Guinea women have graduated from a four week Global Women in Management training program held in Washington DC in the United States of America.

Julie Alo and Bala Kerapa were the recipients of this year’s Global Women in Management (GWIM) program which is supported by operator of the PNG LNG Project, ExxonMobil PNG Limited (EMPNG).
ExxonMobil PNG Public & Government Affairs Manager Robert Aisi said women’s economic empowerment is one of ExxonMobil’s key focus areas for community investment because it recognises that women are strong drivers of social change in their communities. “Each investment in a woman is also an investment in her family and her community, so the impact is broad and multidimensional,” he said.
The Global Women in Management program, run by Plan International USA, brings together women from diverse cultures across the globe to network, learn, share and adapt best practices around the world for expanding women’s economic opportunities.

Julie Alo and Bala Kerapa thanked ExxonMobil PNG for the opportunity to participate in this year’s program which they said was very rewarding and they look forward to applying their new skills to their work.

“I have learned a lot from this experience and have gained new set of skills which I am looking forward to put to use back home,” said Alo.


64 women from Papua New Guinea have benefited from the program since 2006.  Aisi said all past participants are strong leaders in their own communities, and are making a significant contribution in their roles within the nonprofit sector, entrepreneurial sector, community and greater society.

The training alumni also formed their own secretariat: Advancing Papua New Guinea: Women in Leadership Network (APNG:WLN) to leverage the strengths of their networks to support each other to deliver positive change in their communities and contribute to policy development in relation to social issues.

APNG:WLN representative Cathy Alex thanked ExxonMobil for its continuous support to the women of Papua New Guinea and also for recognising the need to empower them through the Global Women in Management program so that they can positively contribute to the growth and development of their communities.

For the first time earlier this year two past participants, Maureen Santana and Ruth Kissam, returned to Washington DC to participate in follow-up training aimed at helping them build their skills and capacity to design and facilitate similar programs in PNG.

“By helping this program become more self-sustaining we hope to broaden the benefits of the training to more women leaders in PNG,” concluded Aisi

Photo Supplied . ExxonMobil PNG Public and Government Affairs Manager Robert Aisi (middle) with past Global Women in Management alumnae and members of APNG;WLN during a ceremony to welcome back Bala Kerapa (seated second from left) and Julie Alo (seated second from right).

ENDS

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