Bougainville election: Record 34 women vie for parliamentary seats

There are a record 34 women candidates contesting this week's election in Bougainville.

According to the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, more than 238,000 registered voters will cast their ballots to elect the president, three women's representatives, three representatives of former combatants, and 38 single-member constituencies, who together will form the Bougainville House of Representatives.

Fourteen women are standing in the three seats reserved for women, while 20 are contesting open electorates.

In the 2020 election, two women won open seats for the first time, but there are hopes that more will be successful this time round.

One of the organisations helping women to enter politics is the Leitana Nehan Women's Agency.

Its head Helen Hakena explained how they aim to raise confidence levels among aspiring women politicians.

"What politics is about. What is politics, the role of parliamentarians and how to do manifestos," Hakena told RNZ Pacific.

"We've been running training [for] women on that because women lack training. We've experienced that in the past elections that few who contested knew a lot about what politics was.

"So, we wanted to run training for more women so that they had the confidence in knowing what the responsibilities of parliamentarians would be, that is why and how to campaign as well."

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Amanda Masono, who held the North Bougainville women's seat in the outgoing is standing this time in the Atolls open - once held by her father, Raymond Masono.

One of her key involvement has been with the team negotiating for independence from Papua New Guinea.

She said that by the end of the next term - in 2030 - Bougainville should be enjoying the benefits of this, with control over a number of sovereign rights currently held by PNG, including fisheries.

"For me, personally, I've been involved with negotiations between the [PNG] national government and ABG (Autonomous Bougainville Government) in terms of the consultations after the referendum has been conducted, and now with the moderation talks with the PNG government - I've been personally involved with that team," she said.

"So, for me, it's being in the process and getting to contribute to ensuring that Bougainville gets its independence."

Theonila Roka Matbob, the member for Ioro in Central Bougainville, is very confident of holding the seat despite being up against ten men.

"I would say that, given the grasp that I have and also building up from 2020, I am very confident. If I am not confident, then it will take the space of giving opportunity for other people and also on campaign strategies as well," she said.

"I have learnt my way through in diversifying and understanding the different experiences that I have in the constituency as well."

Matbob said there is growing interest in how the region got Rio Tinto to take action over the Panguna Mine.

She led a successful campaign to have the mining multi-national consider the damage caused by the mine it used to own.

Josephine Kauona is standing in the Kokoda seat in Central Bougainville.

Josephine is the wife of former Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA) commander and presidential candidate Sam Kauona.

She is competing against 12 men but believes the backing in Kokoda for a woman candidate is strong.

Politics is also a family affair for Therese Kaetavara, whose son was elected last time and became a cabinet minister.

Kaetavara won the South Bougainville Women's seat in 2020 and is hoping to retain it.

She said helping her women constituents to sustain themselves economically is her most important aim.

"There is quite a few things that I have been helping the women with, especially helping them set up projects, like livelihood projects, projects that women actually work with, day in, day out, something that they know how to manage."

Elizabeth Palin is one of five women standing in the Bougainville North women's reserved seat.

The former teacher first stood in 2020 and has wide political experience at the local government level.

"I believe that I can be able to take that leadership and build that link from the top down to the ward assembly level, which includes the community government and vice versa, from the community government up to the top," she said. "

This is what I experienced, and that is the main reason why I am contesting the seat."

Although 34 women is a record number for women candidates, it pales in comparison to the 370 male candidates.

The single-day poll will take place on Thursday, 4 September.