Women in the Law & Justice Sector are being encouraged to embrace and celebrate their strengths.
These was specifically highlighted by of guest speaker, Deputy Public Prosecutor Ms. Helen Roalakona of the Office of the Public Prosecutor, during the observation of the International Women’s Day hosted by the PNG Australia Policing Partnership recently.
“It’s okay to have the spotlight on you and I know we get burdened by our daily duties of being a mother, wife and being a career woman.”
“Let’s celebrate those instead of looking down on them and let’s embrace our male folks that assist us in achieving the goals we set as women, achieving that balance in our lives, and encouraging us to step up and always achieve our goals.”
She said there remain many challenges, but women can rise up to these and overcome them.
Ms. Roalakona celebrates the recognition of the ability of women to be able to get into their career and profession such as a prosecutor as it’s not an easy job.
Ms. Roalakona is amongst 19 females in the Office of the Public Prosecutor as legal officers and gazetted state prosecutors.
There were only seven females in the OPP team in 2010 when she joined after graduating from the University of Papua New Guinea with a Bachelor of Law.
Ms. Roalakona has come a long way within a short space of time.
She joined the OPP as a legal officer in 2010.
Two years later she was appointed as Acting Team Leader for the Family Sexual Offences Unit with UNPP.
She was then tasked with establishing an OPP office in Alotau, Milne Bay province before she was recalled to Port Moresby to lead the Serious Corruption and Dishonesty Unit.
“It’s about loving the person you are, celebrating your strengths and challenging yourselves with your weaknesses and being a better person than you were yesterday.”
