Top 10 Women in Tech Groups and Resources in Papua New Guinea in 2026

Table of Contents

• A Single Loop
• Digital Transformation Summit
• WomenTech Global Conference (WTGC 2026)
• Women Leading Tech Awards
• NPL Anarina Peyama Scholarship
• PNG ICT Cluster
• Australia Awards (STEM Program)
• Georgina Kiele Memorial Scholarship
• Innovation PNG Awards and TechBrek
• PNG Women in STEM and University Tech Clubs
• NICTA Girls in ICT Tertiary Scholarship Program
• Pick One Thread
• Frequently Asked Questions

Digital Transformation Summit

This annual collaborative forum brings together the Department of ICT, the National ICT Authority (NICTA), and international partners such as the Australian government and the World Bank to build a secure digital economy. Held in Port Moresby with virtual attendance options for women in Lae, Mount Hagen, and remote provinces, registration opens each March via the Department of ICT website with early-bird rates for students and startup founders typically around PGK 150.

The summit is where policy meets practice. For women in tech, it offers direct access to decision-makers at Digicel PNG, Telikom PNG, BSP, and Kumul Petroleum. In 2025, the event featured a dedicated Women in Digital Leadership track with panel discussions on broadband equity and rural connectivity. Participants reported that 40% of networking conversations led to follow-up mentorship offers within three months - a tangible return on the PGK 150 investment.

Geographic isolation remains a major barrier for women outside Port Moresby. The summit’s hybrid model - live-streamed sessions in Tok Pisin and English - directly tackles this. One attendee from Lae shared: “I joined from my office at the university. I didn’t need to travel. That changed everything for me.” The format ensures that women in provinces with improving but still uneven connectivity can access the same opportunities as those in the capital.

“The summit showed me that the government is serious about including women in the digital plan. It’s not just talk - they’re actually funding pathways.” - Mary K., ICT Graduate, Port Moresby, 2025

WomenTech Global Conference (WTGC 2026)

The world’s largest online conference for women in technology has developed a growing Pacific chapter, making it a vital resource for PNG professionals. Entirely virtual, the conference is accessible from any province with a stable connection - Port Moresby, Lae, Mount Hagen, Alotau, Kokopo. Early-bird tickets cost USD 49 (approximately PGK 175), and scholarships for Pacific Island participants are available through the ITU partnership.

The 2026 summit, scheduled for April 28-30, features dedicated tracks for AI, cybersecurity, and blockchain - fields where PNG is actively building local capacity. In 2025, PNG-based speakers shared insights on resilience and career growth in the Pacific tech sector, and the pattern continues in 2026. Members gain access to a global mentorship platform, a job board, and a community of over 10,000 women worldwide.

Broadband reliability in PNG is improving but still uneven. The conference addresses this by offering downloadable session recordings, allowing women in areas with intermittent connectivity to watch later. This flexibility is critical for mothers, shift workers, and women in rural postings who cannot afford to lose access due to network drops.

“One of the best-run Conferences I've spoken at... I enjoyed presenting, sharing my insights, and connecting with participants who were truly eager to learn and grow.” - Testimonial from WomenTech Global Conference 2025

Women Leading Tech Awards

This international awards platform, run by B&T magazine and the Women in Tech Network, recognises technical leadership and mentoring among women engineers and technologists worldwide. Regional judging panels include Pacific representatives, ensuring PNG-based nominees are evaluated by peers who understand the local context. Nominations open each January via the B&T awards page, and self-nominations are strongly encouraged. There is no entry fee, removing a key barrier for women in rural provinces.

The 2026 awards featured categories for “Technical Leadership” and “Mentor of the Year” - both directly relevant to PNG women managing ICT teams at BSP and Kina Bank or overseeing digital operations at remote mining sites. Winners receive global media exposure, a professional coaching package, and invitations to speak at international conferences. For a mid-career woman in Port Moresby or Lae, this visibility can transform a career trajectory overnight.

Retention of senior women in PNG tech is a documented challenge. The awards directly address this by creating visibility for women who might otherwise leave the sector due to lack of recognition. One winner from Lae reported that the award helped her negotiate a promotion at a major telco - leverage she didn’t have before her work was publicly validated on a global stage.

“When I won, my manager finally understood what I did every day. The award gave me leverage I didn’t have before.” - Helen R., ICT Manager, Lae, 2026

NPL Anarina Peyama Scholarship

Sponsored by New Porgera Limited (NPL), this scholarship targets women from mining-impacted communities in Enga Province who are pursuing tech and engineering degrees. It covers full tuition, boarding, and a stipend for study at PNG universities - primarily Unitech in Lae and UPNG in Port Moresby. Applications open each September via the NPL community affairs office in Porgera or online through the company’s website, requiring a Grade 12 certificate and a confirmed university offer in a STEM field.

Recipients receive PGK 25,000 per year covering tuition, accommodation, and a laptop allowance. They also secure a guaranteed internship at NPL’s tech division, working on automation, GIS mapping, and data analytics for mining operations. The impact is measurable: three graduates from the 2024 cohort now work full-time at NPL’s Lae office, proving that the pathway from scholarship to career is real and repeatable.

Cultural expectations in rural Enga can limit girls’ access to secondary education, let alone university. The scholarship actively recruits from village communities, providing transport and a female mentor who visits families to explain the programme’s benefits. The philosophy behind the investment is captured by NPL’s own statement: “When we respect their voices and work as partners, we all learn. Sharing our experience isn't a loss - it's how we build a stronger community together.” For women in Enga, this scholarship is more than funding - it’s permission to weave a different future.

PNG ICT Cluster

Led by President Priscilla Kevin, a prominent figure in PNG’s digital transformation space, this professional network targets women with at least five years of ICT experience. Monthly meetings rotate between Port Moresby and Lae, with quarterly video calls connecting members in Mount Hagen and Kokopo. Membership is by invitation or application; interested candidates can connect via the National ICT Authority’s Facebook page to begin the process.

The cluster directly influences national tech policy. In 2025, members drafted a submission to the Draft Digital Government Plan 2023-2027 that resulted in a dedicated section on gender equity in tech procurement - a concrete policy win that affects how every government ICT contract is evaluated. Members also receive priority access to speaking slots at Innovation PNG and the Digital Transformation Summit, providing a platform to shape industry conversations.

The “leaky pipeline” in PNG tech - where women leave mid-career due to lack of peer support - is addressed through a structured mentorship circle. Each new member is paired with a mentor who has navigated boardroom politics at companies like Santos, Telikom PNG, and BSP. This pairing directly tackles the isolation that drives senior women out of the sector, replacing it with a network that understands the specific pressures of leadership in PNG’s corporate environment.

“I was the only woman in my department. The cluster gave me a network of women who understood exactly what I was facing.” - Christine M., IT Director, Port Moresby, 2025

Australia Awards (STEM Program)

Managed by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) through the Australian High Commission in Port Moresby, this prestigious programme sends PNG women to partner universities such as the University of Queensland, UNSW, and Monash for STEM degrees. Recipients study in Australia and then return to PNG for a two-year work placement, ensuring the investment directly benefits the local tech ecosystem. Applications open each February via the Australia Awards PNG website, with eligibility requiring PNG citizenship, a strong STEM academic record, and a demonstrated commitment to returning home after graduation.

In 2025, 8 young women were among 10 students selected for the STEM Pilot. The scholarship covers full tuition, airfares, accommodation, and a living allowance of AUD 30,000 per year. Graduates join an alumni network of over 500 PNG professionals, creating a powerful cohort of women who can support each other across industries and provinces. The return placement requirement directly counters brain drain - a documented risk for PNG’s most talented graduates.

Many PNG women lack exposure to international research environments. The programme addresses this with a three-month preparatory course in Port Moresby before departure, covering academic writing, lab safety, and cultural adjustment. This buffer reduces the shock of transitioning to an Australian university. As one recipient noted, “The prep course in Port Moresby helped me understand what to expect. Now I’m researching AI applications for PNG agriculture.” Follow the Australian High Commission’s Facebook page for application announcements each February.

Georgina Kiele Memorial Scholarship

Honouring a pioneer who shaped PNG’s digital policies, this targeted scholarship focuses on cybersecurity - a field where women remain severely underrepresented globally and in PNG. Run by the Department of ICT and NICTA in partnership with the Australian Cyber Security Centre, recipients study at the PNG University of Technology (Unitech) in Lae, with a three-month internship in Australia. Applications open each June, requiring enrolment in or acceptance into a cybersecurity or information assurance programme at Unitech, along with a personal statement on your vision for PNG’s digital security.

The scholarship covers full tuition, a laptop valued at PGK 5,000, and a stipend of PGK 12,000 per year. The Australian internship provides hands-on experience with threat intelligence and incident response teams - exposure that most PNG graduates never access. The results speak for themselves: two of the three 2025 graduates now work at NICTA’s cybersecurity division in Port Moresby, directly protecting the nation’s digital infrastructure.

Cybersecurity is a male-dominated field globally, and PNG is no exception. The scholarship explicitly targets women, creating a visible cohort of female experts who can mentor the next generation. The internship component also tackles the “experience trap” - women cannot get jobs without experience, and cannot get experience without jobs. By breaking that cycle, the scholarship builds a pipeline of skilled defenders for PNG’s growing digital economy, from the banking systems at BSP to the networks at Digicel PNG.

Innovation PNG Awards and TechBrek

PNG Women in STEM and University Tech Clubs

This grassroots network of women-led STEM clubs operates at PNG’s major universities, with physical chapters at UPNG (Port Moresby), Unitech (Lae), and Divine Word University (Madang), plus virtual chapters for students at Pacific Adventist University and the University of Goroka. There is no formal membership fee; clubs fundraise for events, keeping participation accessible. Students can join via university student affairs offices or the PNG Women in STEM Facebook group, which serves as a central hub for announcements and peer support.

The clubs organise coding bootcamps, hackathons, and industry visits that directly connect classroom learning to real-world opportunities. In 2025, Unitech’s chapter ran a “Women Build” hackathon where teams designed apps for rural healthcare - the winning team received a paid internship at Digicel PNG. This kind of direct pipeline from campus to employer is rare in PNG’s tech sector, making the clubs a critical bridge for women who lack professional networks.

The impact on retention is measurable. At Unitech, where women made up 39% of the 2025 graduating class - and Applied Physics reached 62.5% female participation - the club was credited with improving retention rates. As noted by NBC PNG’s coverage of women redefining excellence at Unitech, the shift is bigger than academic success; it changes the culture of entire departments. Meanwhile, Divine Word University has consistently graduated more women than men across programmes, as highlighted in coverage of DWU’s gender balance. For a woman entering a first-year coding class as the only female student, these clubs provide study partners, confidence, and proof that she belongs.

NICTA Girls in ICT Tertiary Scholarship Program

Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2026, this flagship programme by the National Information and Communications Technology Authority (NICTA) has become the benchmark for women’s tech education in PNG. It supports study at any accredited PNG university - UPNG, Unitech, DWU, Pacific Adventist University - and removes every financial barrier: full tuition, boarding, lodging, a stipend of PGK 15,000 per year, and travel costs. Applications open each August, requiring a Grade 12 certificate and an offer of admission to an ICT degree programme.

Since its launch in 2016, the programme has supported over 40 women. By 2026, 19 graduates are employed in PNG’s ICT sector - at NICTA, Digicel PNG, BSP, Telikom PNG, and the Department of ICT. Each recipient is paired with a female mentor already working in the industry, ensuring she has guidance through university and into her first role. The cost of tertiary education is the primary barrier for women from rural and low-income families; this scholarship removes it entirely, while the 10-year track record signals to employers that NICTA scholars are well-prepared.

For women deciding where to apply, the choice depends on background and career goals. The NICTA scholarship offers the broadest scope and longest track record, making it the safest bet for most applicants. As Delilah K., a 2026 graduate now building systems for rural health clinics, put it: “Without this scholarship, I would not have gone to university. Now I’m building the systems that will connect rural health clinics to the national network.” Follow the NICTA Facebook page for application announcements each August.

Pick One Thread

You don’t have to see the whole bilum to start. Every weaver in Port Moresby, Lae, or Mount Hagen began with a single loop - a scholarship application, a hesitant message to a mentor, a registration page left open on a phone. The pattern only becomes visible as you pull the next strand, and the next. What matters is that you begin, not that you see the full design.

Across PNG, the infrastructure for your career is already in place. Companies like Digicel PNG, BSP, and Kumul Petroleum are actively recruiting women into tech roles. The National ICT Authority has embedded gender equity into the Draft Digital Government Plan 2023-2027. University clubs at Unitech and UPNG are running hackathons that lead directly to internships. The weavers are already at their looms - you just need to reach for the nearest thread.

Pick one resource from this list. Maybe it’s the NICTA Girls in ICT Scholarship with its 10-year track record and 19 graduates already employed. Maybe it’s the quarterly TechBrek event where PGK 40 gets you into a room with decision-makers. Maybe it’s simply joining the PNG Women in STEM Facebook group to find study partners who won’t make you feel stupid for asking questions. The pattern will appear as you weave with others. Your hands are already holding the first loop.

Frequently Asked Questions