ABSTRACT

Papua New Guinea (PNG) is a culturally diverse country. Since the early part of the last century the importance of small scale mining to rural communities' economic activities and survival has increased. The economic and social power of women therefore is not the same throughout the country but this is still overlaid with the problems of domestic violence, rape, HIV/AIDS and lack of economic equality between women and men, and lack of adequate opportunities to obtain that equality. The Department of Mining collected data on an informal basis over the three years 1998–2001 during the Australian Government's Technical Advisory Support program and the picture that emerged at the time was highly complicated and variable. Women make up a significant proportion of the estimated visible mining population and they may make up an unseen proportion as well. The Asian Development Bank project on microfinance in PNG has the opportunity to assist women miners through their pilot scheme in Wau.