The Asian Development Bank (ADB) officially launched the inaugural Pacific Women Leaders Program (PWLP) this morning in Port Moresby city, with the week-long program running until Friday 6th June. Supported by ADB, the initiative aims to address the significant gap in women’s leadership across the Pacific region, including in Papua New Guinea (PNG). It is specifically designed for women in senior roles or those aspiring to take on leadership positions that can influence public finance, policy making, and service delivery in their respective countries. “Promoting gender equality and empowering women is a strategic priority for ADB,” said Said Zaidansyah, the Country Director of ADB’s Papua New Guinea Resident Mission. “Through the capacity development offered by the Pacific Women Leaders Program, we aim to support participants in PNG to become transformative leaders. Our goal is to build their capabilities, inspire them, and enhance their ability to motivate and empower other women to step into leadership roles.” The PWLP is part of ADB’s flagship Asia Women Leaders Program, which, over the past decade (2014–2024), has trained nearly 300 women leaders from 31 countries across Asia and the Pacific. This regional initiative focuses on strengthening women's leadership by offering capacity-building in areas such as the links between gender equality and inclusive growth, communication and negotiation skills, and peer networking. The 2024 cohort in PNG includes 24 women from state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and the private sector. In recent years, PNG has seen progress in women’s representation within SOEs. Between 2021 and 2024, female board membership increased from 6% to 18%. However, women still occupy only 7% of board chair roles and 9% of CEO positions—both figures below the regional average. Despite these challenges, efforts to improve women’s participation in SOE leadership are gaining momentum, according to the report PNG: Leadership Matters (2024). Additionally, women in PNG play a crucial role in the informal economy. According to Women’s Economic Empowerment in the Pacific Region (2023), nearly 90% of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in PNG's informal sector are owned by women. ADB is a leading multilateral development bank supporting sustainable, inclusive, and resilient growth across Asia and the Pacific. Working with its members and partners to solve complex challenges together, ADB harnesses innovative financial tools and strategic partnerships to transform lives, build quality infrastructure, and safeguard the planet. Founded in 1966, ADB is owned by 69 members-49 from the region.