Summary of publication
Women are disadvantaged in PNG socially, culturally, economically and politically. The prevalence of violence against women and girls is one of the highest in the world. Society values 'big man' leadership and women are absent from both formal and informal decision-making. There are fewer girls than boys at all levels of the education system, and women are under-represented in paid employment, especially in the formal sector.
The focus of the Gender and Education Assessment as a whole is to examine the contribution of Australian Aid to advancing gender equality, specifically girls' education in PNG over the period 2010-2015 under the three aid modalities: Direct Funding Support; Infrastructure; and Capacity Development.
This literature review is one key output of the Gender and Education Assessment and examines the social, political and economic contexts of Papua New Guinea from a gender perspective.