Women’sMarkets  Initiative

PNG

PNG  indicatorsfor  women’s  health,

political  participation  and  experience  of  violence  are  

among  the  worst  inthe  world

Every  year,  PNG’s  local  markets  contribute  PGK250  million to  the  economy.

They  are  the  second  largest  source  of  village  income  after  coffee.

Market  producers  are  almost  all  women

Producer  vendors  andresellers  are  almost  all  

women

Yet  markets  are  overwhelminglycontrolled  by  men

Local  governments  extract  taxes  they  spend  elsewhere

Local  land  owners  extract  rents  they  spend  elsewhere

Worse: Market sellers are harassed byoverbearing officials / land-owners, petty

criminals, beggars and extortionists

As a result, market facilities are poor or non-existent and women sit at the bottom of the economic hierarchy

When a woman earns K10, she will spend K7.50 on her family and K2.50 on herself

25% 75%

BUT, if a man receives K10, he will spend K7.50 on himself for leisure and pleasure

and give only K2.50 to his family

75% 25%

What  if  womenhad  more  control  over  markets?  

The  Women’s  Markets  Initiative  

aims  to  establish  and  nurture  a  networkof  markets  owned  and  operated  by

women

The  Initiative  envisages  women  controlling  their  own  economic  affairs  through  local  markets  with  …

Good  Governance

StableTenure

Safe  Spaces,  Decent  Facilities

Markets  are  gateways  for  flows  to  andfrom  rural  areas  and  between  towns

Rural  women  come  to  town  regularly  to  sell  produce,  to  buy  goods,  to  bank,  to  meetpeople  and  to  transact  other  business

Markets  could  also  be  hubs  for  learning  new  skills  about  …

Empowerment  &  Organization

Personal  Safety

Legal  Rights

Improved  Livelihoods

Health  &  Nutrition

The  Initiativeaims  to  transform

local  markets  into  such  women  empowering

hubs  

The potential  toempower  women  through

markets  is  currently  blocked  by  existing  control  arrangements  

and  misappropriation  or  diversion  of    mostmarket  revenue

A  network  of  markets  owned  by  women,  run  by  women,to  benefit  women,  their  families  and  their  communities

OUR  VISION  …

Three  teams  are  envisaged  for  the  implementation  of  the  vision …

Leaders Partners Advisers  

Young  PNG professional  women  dedicated  to  building  a  better  future  for  women

Strong  local  institutions  providing  land,  training,  monitoring and  accountability

Experienced  specialists  committed  to  women’s  empowerment  and  local  development  in  PNG

Release  1:  Rev  4:  24  August  2015©2015  Cox,   Costigan,  Week  

If  you  can  contribute:• knowledge• influence• funds• time

Please  contact  us  atpngmarkets@gmail.com