Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

Views from our Papua New Guinea office as the country marks its Independence Day, by Luke Petai and Fiona Fandim Marat. Based in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, Luke and Fiona are Senior Consultants with Alinea-Whitelum – Alinea International’s development consultancy service in Australia.

On March 24, 2020, the PNG government declared a National State of Emergency triggering a range of COVID-19 protocols intended to protect us from the disease, but stifled our independence as individuals. Like many countries around the world, measures implemented in PNG included social distancing, work-from-home and self-quarantine in the absence of a vaccine. We called it the “niupela pasin” – the new normal.

Authorities ordered closure of many small-to-medium businesses that housed a significant proportion of the employed population in the country. While such reconfiguration of the day-to-day lifestyle of Papua New Guineans minimized the spread of COVID-19, the negative social and economic impacts of these protocols were just as endemic.

Gender inequality in particular was exacerbated at several fronts under abruptly changed power relations between PNG men and women at home and in society at large.

Women’s unpaid domestic responsibilities grew with longer hours over multiple tasks. With the closure of schools and daycares, working mothers assumed the role of childminding. They spent longer hours performing childcare duties and tasks including cooking, laundry and other housekeeping chores. These circumstances rekindled the otherwise pre-existing gender inequality situation at home, which has been the basis for both academic discourse and development agendas for a long time.

In addition, during the State of Emergency and periods that followed, more women working informal jobs lost those jobs. Much of this work could not be undertaken in a work-from-home mode, nor did many women have the infrastructure and skills needed to engage in tele-commutable work arrangements. As a result, a large number of women experienced greater COVID-19 impacts as they became economically dependent on their husbands and other relatives. Other issues, such as the closure of markets where many PNG women sell food, art and craft products aggravated this economic discomfort. Such disempowerment practically disarmed women from decision-making at home and in society to an extent where male dominance and other components of the historical patriarchal PNG social organizations activated in some parts of the country and intensified in others.

This shift in economic power in favour of men also led to other gender issues, including violence. Gender-based violence in PNG during the COVID-19 era took different forms including physical, sexual, emotional and deprivation or neglect. Economic insecurity due to loss of jobs and money-making opportunities, and resulting economic dependence, presented both practical and perceived risks relating to gender-based violence. For example, with a decreased purchasing ability of the family, conflicting views over how to spend limited family money resulted in, or had the potential to, end in violence. Additionally, violence regularly occurred because the police were underequipped and overwhelmed to monitor the growing gender-based violence calls during this period. With lockdown and quarantine at home, victims and perpetrators continued to live together, making it possible for persistent occurrences of gender-based violence – an issue seen around the world throughout the pandemic.

PNG’s inroads and wins for gender equality and social inclusion took time and deep consideration. It was a historical process and involved consultative work, debate and international support while implementation arrangements, strategies and processes faced scrutiny and refinement.

COVID-19 impacts presented new challenges in advancing gender work, rekindling gender disparities between PNG men and women on many fronts including at domestic, economic and social levels.

We must now consider ways forward. One may lean towards the historical approach to rework the issue to the current state and into the future. While not impossible, it may require the same amount of time, resources and support as rendered in the past and up to when the pandemic arrived.

However, we argue the smart way of tackling gender issues is to take an emergency approach first, followed by reverting to the historical. An emergency approach will require specialist and technical guidance to bring gender work to its pre-pandemic state in a speedy, but credible, manner.

We join PNG in celebrating its Independence Day on September 16 while contemplating our options to forge a better, locally driven, gender equitable way out of the niupela pasin.

alinea’s whistleblower policy

1.1 Purpose

The following Whistleblower Policy has been established to provide guidance to Alinea International employees and sub-contractors on how to deal with known or suspected improper conduct within the organization. The objectives of this Policy are to:

Create awareness of the Policy and available whistleblower protections
Act as a reference guide to potential whistleblowers wishing to make a disclosure
Define the structure of the whistleblower system, including reporting and investigation procedures, whistleblower protections, and confidentiality, among others
Improve the communication and transparency in the processes associated with whistleblowing and assure protection against derogatory consequences, namely reprisals and detrimental action
Complement the current communication channels between employees, sub-contractors and immediate managers, and hierarchical channels flowing to the President and Senior Management team
Provide guidance to all parties involved in either whistleblowing or whistleblower protection.

1.2 Scope

Alinea requires all employees and sub-contractors to observe high standards of business and personal ethics in the conduct of their duties and responsibilities. All employees and sub-contractors of Alinea are required to comply with applicable laws and regulations of Canada and the countries where we operate. Any allegations of known or suspected improper conduct or mismanagement of organizational resources will be dealt with in accordance with this Policy, and reasonable steps will be taken to protect those who come forward with allegations. Alinea’s Whistleblower Policy covers both internal and external whistleblowing, and establishes the controls and procedures for dealing with allegations of malpractice, fraud and violations of our code of ethics and/or laws or regulations that govern our operations. This Policy is intended to encourage employees and sub-contractors to report known or suspected improper conduct or mismanagement of organizational resources and to enable Alinea’s Senior Management team to address and correct inappropriate action. It is the responsibility of all Board of Directors’ members, the Senior Management team, employees and sub-contractors to report concerns about known or suspected malpractice, fraud and violations of our code of ethics and/or laws or regulations that govern our operations. This Policy is applicable to all employees and sub-contractors of Alinea International.

1.3 Reporting Procedures

Alinea recognizes the value of transparency and accountability in its administrative and management practices and supports the making of disclosures that reveal improper conduct or mismanagement of organizational resources. Our internal controls and operating procedures are intended to detect and prevent malpractice, fraud and violations of our code of ethics and/or laws or regulations that govern our operations. As detailed in Alinea’s Employee Policy and Onboarding manuals, employees and sub-contractors are encouraged to share complaints and/or concerns regarding ethical or legal violations with their immediate managers. If the employee or sub-contractor is not comfortable speaking with their immediate manager or is not satisfied with the response, they are encouraged to speak with the Gatineau or Calgary Office Managers, the Vice Presidents or, as required, the Chief Financial Officer. All members of the Senior Management team are required to report complaints and/or concerns about suspected ethical or legal violations in writing to Alinea’s Ethics Committee who has the responsibility to investigate all reported complaints and/or concerns. In the event that the complaint and/or concern is about the President, it should be raised by the employee or sub-contractor to their immediate manager or the Ethics Committee who will determine how the investigation will proceed. All reports will be promptly investigated and appropriate corrective measures will be taken if warranted by the investigation. Alinea’s Ethics Committee is responsible for acknowledging receipt of the suspected violation and notifying the whistleblower of the outcome of the investigation. Anyone filing a written complaint concerning suspected improper conduct or mismanagement of organizational resources must be acting in good faith and have reasonable grounds for believing the information disclosed indicates a violation. Personal grievances or complaints related to employment are not covered under Alinea’s Whistleblowing Policy. For cases such as this, employees and sub-contractors are advised to first refer to Alineas Employee Policy and Onboarding manuals when considering a disclosure under the Whistleblowing Policy. Any allegations that prove not to be substantiated and which prove to have been made maliciously or knowingly to be false will be viewed as a serious disciplinary offense.

1.4 Confidentiality

Maintaining confidentiality is crucial to ensure reprisals are not made against the whistleblower. Alinea is committed to safeguarding the identity of the whistleblower and to protecting the whistleblower against detrimental action taken in reprisal for allegations of suspected improper conduct or mismanagement of organizational resources. The Ethics Committee is responsible for ensuring whistleblowers are protected from direct and indirect detrimental action, and that the culture of the workplace is supportive of suspected allegations being made. Any employee who retaliates against someone who has reported a violation in good faith is subject to discipline up to and including termination of employment.

1.5 Review

Alinea is committed to implementing ‘best practice’ policies and procedures for dealing with allegations of suspected improper conduct or mismanagement of organizational resources (as defined by this Policy) and the management and protection of whistleblowers making allegation(s). This Policy will be reviewed periodically to ensure it meets the objectives of relevant legislation and remains effective for Alinea, and may be changed at the discretion of the Board of Directors at any time. For allegations of fraud, securities law, or human rights concerns, or when you are not satisfied or uncomfortable with following the Company’s open door policy, individuals should contact the Company’s Ethics Committee directly.

Click here to close window

Papua New Guinea Independence Day in the COVID-19 era

Archives