110726 Bougainville Women’s Federation Brings Message of Solidarity to National Peace and Security Summit

Barbara Tanne, President of the Bougainville Women’s Federation (BWF), delivered a powerful message of solidarity to her peers across Papua New Guinea during her welcome remarks at the National Women’s Security Summit. Held from June 23–24, 2026 at Hilton hotel, Port Moresby, the high-level summit focused on the theme, “Strengthening the implementation of the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda in Papua New Guinea.”

Addressing a distinguished delegation, President Tanne acknowledged the PNG Prime Minister Hon. James Marape and representing Ministers, the spouse of the Prime Minister, Lady Rachel Marape, the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) Deputy Speaker Hon. Rose Pihei, UN Resident Coordinators, and representatives from UN Women and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), leaders from PNG and ABG Department of Community Development. She paid tribute to the traditional landowners, the Motu-Koitabu people, before sharing the profound lessons of Bougainville's history.

Reflecting on the Bougainville conflict, which claimed over 20,000 lives, the BWF President emphasized that the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 is not just text on paper for Bougainville women. "Long before that resolution was signed in the year 2000, our mothers were walking into the battlefields, into the deep jungles, risking their lives to stand between armed factions and demand an end to the bloodshed," She explained. "We learned a hard truth during the war: Women are the first to suffer from conflict but are also the first to envision the road to recovery."

Tanne highlighted how women negotiated peace, sustained communities, and helped draft a constitution that explicitly guarantees their right to participate in governance.

As Papua New Guinea observes its 50th year, Tanne warned that peace remains fragile. She highlighted the devastating tribal warfare fueled by high-powered firearms in the Highlands, alongside the ongoing terrors of gender-based violence (GBV) and sorcery-accusation-related violence (SARV) affecting mothers and daughters across the provinces.

To combat these challenges, Tanne called for an immediate end to unfunded mandates, noting that a policy without a dedicated budget is "simply a broken promise." She expressed that national funding must bypass bureaucratic bottlenecks and flow directly to ward levels, remote villages, and rural communities where work occurs. She also further expressed that women mediators must not be treated as an afterthought. Their logistics, security, and roles must be formally budgeted for and respected.

While acknowledging the "Empower Her" peace initiatives, Tanne reminded leaders that women-led peacebuilding cannot survive on ad-hoc workshops or financial crumbs.

Closing her remarks with a resonant message to women in conflict zones, Tanne pledged the unwavering support of Bougainville. "To our sisters across Papua New Guinea: You are not alone. We have walked that dark valley, and we are here to walk with you," she said. "True security is not just the absence of guns; it is the presence of justice, the safety of a child, and the empowerment of a woman."