THE Lae Seif Komuniti Program and the Business Coalition for Women (BCFW) launched the Seif Komuniti program working group.
The launching was witnessed by the Australian Ambassador for First Nations Justin Mohamed at the Lae Golf Course on Tuesday.
The program is supported by the Lae business community, United Nations Women, Tok Stret Consulting and the SanapWantaim Youth.
The Lae Seif Komuniti Program is a milestone in the ongoing efforts to enhance the safety and well-being of people in Lae.
The program is a comprehensive initiative designed to address various aspects of public and safe transport systems including crime prevention, public awareness, community engagement, and technological innovations.
Executive Director for Business Coalition for Women Evonne Kennedy said the Lae Seif Komuniti is a program that is aimed to support and improve safety for women and girls in public transport systems and spaces because it is everyone’s right to feel safe and be safe on buses, bus stops and in public places.
“It is our endeavour as the business community to work closely with the provincial government, public transport association and other agencies to implement and improve systems for public transport users.
“Lae Seif Komuniti working group has started and has plans to engage in the public transport program and we have our first bus that will operate to carry out this program,” Ms Kennedy said.
She said there are plans to also install CCTV in the buses, at the three main bus stops; Eriku, top town and market and train youths to become agents of change.
Mr Mohamed said over the 10 years, Australia has supported gender equality and has reached more than 1 million Papua New Guinean women, men and children.
“It is all about the Australian government wanting to build stronger relationships because Australia has been and continues to work aside with the public and any government, civil society, private sector, to help strengthen the national responses to violence against women and gender equality,” he said.
“This is one of the things that I know we all have in common and that is why we are here today.
“Saying that what we want to achieve, I think, collectively together, we become stronger across the pacific and we can take that share with the globe where many communities have similar challenges and programs.”