Gifted a pig

In the southern highlands of Papua New Guinea (PNG), at the opening ceremony of a women’s conference, the chief of the host tribe announced that they would be honoured if I accepted their prize pig.   

That’s right – a pig!

After an impromptu ‘thank you’ speech in Tok Pisin, I leaned over to Agnes Gabee, the conference coordinator, and asked, ‘What am I going to do with the pig?!  I can’t take it back to Australia’.

Agnes suggested donating it to the conference, which I did, after naming him ‘Blackie’.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Papua New Guinea (ELCPNG) has more than 2 million members, includes 17 districts and represents 18 per cent of the nation’s population. The annual Simbu District Women’s Conference was held in Ku village, outside of Kundiawa, from 30 June to 5 July. Each of the 22 circuits in the district was represented by numerous women delegates totalling more than 1,000, among the 2,000 attendees. Some delegates walked for two weeks to attend, due to the high cost of air travel.

At the opening ceremony, each circuit performed a welcome dance and presented gifts, including bilims (locally made carry bags) and food from their gardens. I was honoured as the second-last speaker (of 10) before the local governor, sharing how my father, Fred Stolz, the founding principal of Balob Teachers College in Lae, and my upbringing in PNG, influenced my work at Australian Lutheran World Service (ALWS).

Celia Fielke, a Community Engagement Officer at ALWS, joined me on what was her first trip to PNG. She spoke powerfully to the conference, encouraging women to be resilient leaders. Many women shared their stories with Celia, discussing heartaches, including lack of education and losses due to childbirth and community violence.

Agnes told Celia: ‘The women here are very excited because they feel you are at the doorstep to reach them.’

A young pastor shared his distressing story with me: a young woman was killed outside his church in January, followed by the murder of a village chief, both related to sorcery accusations. Despite reporting these matters to the police, no action was taken. He asked, ‘What am I to do?’

According to the United Nations, PNG ranks 160 out of 161 countries on the Gender Inequality Index (2022). Women’s participation in decision-making is low, with only two women in the 118-seat national parliament, and only 120 women holding local government seats out of 6,509.

Access to reproductive and maternal health services is poor, contributing to a maternal mortality rate of 215 deaths per 100,000 live births. Domestic abuse, political intimidation and intercommunal conflict result in 1.5 million women and girls experiencing gender-based violence annually. According to the 2023 Human Rights Watch report, PNG is ‘one of the most dangerous places to be a woman or girl’. Attitudes towards domestic violence are pervasive, with 70 per cent of women and 72 per cent of men believing wife-beating is justified in certain circumstances. PNG companies lose an average of 10 days annually per staff member due to family and sexual violence.

ALWS works with the Australian Government and ELCPNG through the Church Partnership Program (CPP) to provide up to $900,000 in aid to PNG, the largest annual financial contribution by ALWS to a country.

CPP activities focus on preceptor training for health workers, social accountability training for young people, and gender and disability awareness training. This includes training church leaders and pastors on responding to Sorcery Accusation Related Violence (SARV).

Celia and I experienced both the joy and pain of the women in the Simbu District. They are eager for training and support and passionate about leading their communities towards resilience and health.

Thank you for supporting ALWS for this important mission.  Please pray for this work and continue to give generously.

Michael Stolz is ALWS Executive Director.