Rufina Peter

One of eight children, Peter attended a Catholic school in Tapini in the hilly, northwestern part of Central Province. Her father did not earn enough to support four children in high school and she had to work while at school to help pay for the fees.[3] She obtained an undergraduate degree in agriculture from the Papua New Guinea University of Technology in Lae between 1985 and 1988 and a master's degree in agricultural economics from the University of New England, in Armidale, New South Wales, between 1990 and 1992. She was a participant in the 2013–2014 Australian Rural Leadership Program.[6][7]

Peter's first job was as an economist with the PNG Cocoa Board. She then became a first assistant secretary at the government's Department of Agriculture and Livestock, before moving to the Institute of National Affairs where, among other activities, she supported the PNG Women in Agriculture Development Foundation. After a spell at the Department of Provincial & Local Government Affairs, she joined the Bank of Papua New Guinea in 2017.[6][7]

Peter first stood as a candidate in the 2017 Papua New Guinean general election, but was unsuccessful. She did, however, win the highest vote of any female candidate in the country. At that time she attributed the lack of success of women in PNG politics to the general feeling in the country that politics is a man's world and that women are ill-equipped to become political leaders. She said that the current political environment promotes corrupt practices and there were insufficient resources available for candidates to campaign. One factor she cited was that tribal leaders play a big role in voters' decisions, and they are nearly all men.[8][9] In the 2022 general election she was one of 167 women running for the 118 seats, compared with 3,458 men. She was successful in the Central Province Regional seat, which meant that she became the governor of the province as well as a member of parliament. Papua New Guinea follows a preferential voting system and, after all votes had been tallied, she had beaten her rival, the incumbent, Robert Agarobe, by 62,361 votes to 58,917. Peter stood as a member of the People’s National Congress Party.[2][10][11][12][13] Before her election, Papua New Guinea was one of only three countries without a woman in parliament.[1] Four days later, Kessy Sawang was also elected.[14]

The eight other women elected to the Papua New Guinea parliament:[10]

• Josephine Abaijah, 1972–1982; 1997–2012
• Waliyato Clowes, 1977–82
• Nahau Rooney, 1977–87
• Carol Kidu, 2002–2012
• Julie Soso, 2012–2017
• Loujaya Kousa, 2012–2017
• Delilah Gore, 2012–2017
• Kessy Sawang, 2022–

• Declaration of Peter's electoral victory and her speech