A Papua New Guinean construction contractor’s first GEDSI and Safeguards training that saw 22 staff from Minpac Construction company sensitised on Safeguarding and its implications both in the workplace and the communities that surround construction projects.
The Australian Government’s Incentive Fund program is focusing efforts on preventing sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment (PSEAH) to empower women and men in the construction industry of Papua New Guinea. This is a significant step towards creating safer and more equitable workplaces for all.
The Incentive Fund is a grants program that supports infrastructure projects designed to improve the provision of essential services, strengthen local economies and be inclusive of all Papua New Guineans, including women, girls, and people with disabilities. This includes enabling partner organisations and contractors to ensure everyone can participate equally in society.
Minpac Construction is an established building contractor in PNG, operating for over 50 years. Minpac has been awarded contracts on several projects funded through Incentive Fund’s competitive grants program. The company has evolved to accommodate female construction workers as more women take up engineering, architecture, building and construction jobs.
A long-time employee with Minpac, Gamini Gamini is a supervisor who has seen changes in the workforce and advocated for women empowerment, rights and equality. He said since the early 2000, more women are now working in carpentry, plumbing and electrical.
Gamini has witnessed a lot of unfair treatment of women in the construction industry and is a strong supporter of safeguarding efforts.
“We men have to protect our women colleagues and treat them with respect like they are our sisters, daughters or mothers,” says Gamini.
Of the 22 participants, only two were female staff.
“We are very happy that most of our male counterparts are in these trainings with us. Not only because we are pleased about them openly discussing these issues, but we now feel confident in interacting and working with them. And it’s all because they now understand the challenges faced by the very few females challenging the status quo in most male-dominated workplaces or industries throughout PNG,” says the Minpac GEDSI Officer Mickaella Kouro.
The training module included information on preventing sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment. It was designed to encourage policies that will integrate PSEAH into the company’s current Code of Conduct and help cultivate safe and inclusive workspace practices.
The training explored Child Protection and Child Safeguards, raising awareness of the different forms of abuse towards children and how these different forms of abuse can be prevented.
Participants were encouraged to identify and use the reporting mechanisms available to prevent such incidents in an inclusive work environment.
