There are predictions of a significant female presence in the assembly on the Papua New Guinea island of Bougainville after next month's elections for an autonomous government.
Three seats in the 41 member assembly are reserved for women and 25 candidates are standing in these electorates.
Another 28 will stand in other seats and Helen Hakena, the director of the Leitana Nehan Women's Development Agency, is confident that some of these women will be successful.
Ms Hakena says the presence of women in the new assembly will make a difference.
"They have assisted men, they have worked alongside men. They have contributed a lot to the peace process and I think, women, when they get into our autonomus government, they will also do the same, because women have a heart for the people, they work for the communities, they don't think of themselves but they think of other people."
Helen Hakena
