Papua New Guinea went to the polls in June–July 2017 for its ninth general election since independence. Despite a record number of women standing – around five per cent of the total number of candidates – no women were elected in any of the 111 seats.
This report draws on discussions from a debrief in Port Moresby in September 2017 with 26 women who contested the election. Participants had contested in all four regions of Papua New Guinea.
The report highlights some of the key themes that arose from these discussions, including:
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Challenges in resourcing campaigns.
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The importance of taking a long-term approach.
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Structural barriers, including feeling disadvantaged in electoral administration and the use of money politics.
Despite these challenges, the vast majority of debrief participants reported positive — if at times challenging — experiences in contesting the 2017 election. Most agreed they would consider running again in future elections.
