Florence Jaukae Kamel, known to many as the ‘Bilum Meri’, has been called upon by her Provincial Government to be the Women’s Representative for the province for the next 5 years.
Ms. Jaukae has spent a good number of years helping the local women in the Goroka area and Eastern Highlands province, to make a successful living for themselves through weaving and selling bilums.
She shared that when she was a newly married woman, she struggled to manage the situations she was going through and this made her determined to seek out ways to help herself.
“I wanted to help women in a similar situation to mine,” shared Ms Jaukae. “Women who just wanted to put food on the table for their families and create a better living situation. That's how the Goroka Bilum Weavers came about. We are a group of women earning through weaving bilums. I wanted them to work together and earn together.”
“I have realized that in order to understand these women and their needs, I had to put myself in their shoes and be them,” Florence continued. “I found joy in being able to connect with these women.”
As the newly elected Women’s Rep, Ms. Jaukae goes into this position with two priorities: women’s health and women in business.
“It is important to recognize that a healthy woman is more capable of participating in the commerce of the province. When a woman is healthy, anything or any business is possible."
Ms. Jaukae also acknowledged the opportunities she had through working closely with the United Nations Population Fund in PNG, especially in developing the national Bilum Campaign in 2021. This campaign, which explored the meanings of popular bilum patterns developed in Goroka and their role in conversations of adolescence and womanhood, has grounded UNFPA’s sexual and reproductive health advocacy over the past two years.
“Talking about the importance of women’s reproductive health through our beloved bilums and the hidden meanings of different patterns promotes conversation on this important issue. Being involved with UNFPA and knowing the team made it much easier for me to reach out to women in my province and show them this different perspective on bilum weaving.”
The Bilum Meri looks forward to breaking barriers, connecting bilum weavers to markets, and creating a safe space for them to talk about their health as well.
“I am happy and I look forward to helping the women in my province,” said Ms Jaukae. “I also look forward to working closely with UNFPA to advance progress on women's reproductive and sexual health.”
