Rufina Peter

Rufina Peter is a Papua New Guinean agricultural economist and politician. Until her election to the National Parliament on 5 August 2022, Papua New Guinea (PNG) was one of only three countries without a woman in parliament. She was also elected as Governor of Central Province in the 2022 general election, becoming the province's first female governor.

Early life and education 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.

Career 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.

In the 2022 general election, Peter was one of 167 women running for the 118 seats, compared to 3,458 men. She emerged victorious in the Central Province seat, becoming both the governor of the province and a member of parliament. Papua New Guinea employs a preferential voting system, and after all votes had been tallied, she had defeated her rival, the incumbent Robert Agarobe, with 62,361 votes to 58,917. Peter ran as a member of the People's National Congress Party. Before her election, Papua New Guinea was one of only three countries worldwide without a female parliamentarian.