The Papua New Guinea University of Technology (Unitech) in Lae is taking steps to strengthen gender equality, disability and social inclusion (GEDSI) and safeguarding across its campus, supported by Australia’s Incentive Fund.
Unitech held a GEDSI and safeguarding workshop from October 14 to 16 2025, with participation from 37 staff and student representatives from respective departments. The training followed the launch of Unitech’s GEDSI Policy in August this year.
These measures to strengthen gender equality and inclusion across the campus form part of an Incentive Fund grant to construct a 100-bed female dormitory so that more female students can enrol, live and study on campus.
The Incentive Fund is committed to gender equality, disability and social inclusion. It partners with organisations that facilitate the participation of women, people with disabilities and other marginalised or vulnerable groups in project decisions at all stages – from design to ongoing use or implementation.
The workshop focused on building an understanding of how – and why – to establish an inclusive and safe campus environment, beginning with integrating GEDSI principles into all university plans and operations.
Participants took part in interactive GEDSI and safeguarding-related activities that helped them identify social inclusion gaps and safeguarding issues within the university andequipped them with the tools to provide feedback and recommendations on how to address these issues.
Scholarship and Career Counselling Officer, Winifred Oluston, said the workshop complemented what her department was doing to address student support on campus.
“The training was really good because it got us to reflect on the activities that we do, and how we could bring gender into play so that everyone is given an equal space, the resources they need to study, and a safe space for studying, and achieve good grades,” Winifred said.
Engineering student and Student Representative Senate President, Brenth Karol, recognised the importance of creating a more equal and inclusive campus.
“I believe initiatives such as GEDSI and others that will come in the future will at least start some form of mind transformation on how to behave in a social environment.”
Through its partnership with the Incentive Fund, Unitech is strengthening equity, dignity and social justice to improve education outcomes, including for women and students with a disability.
