Francesca Semoso

Francesca Rhianna Semoso is a politician and former broadcaster from the Autonomous Region of Bougainville. She has held the positions of Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Bougainville House of Representatives; prior to her political career she was a radio broadcaster at the National Broadcasting Commission of Papua New Guinea.^[1][2] She is currently the MP for the North Bougainville Open, after winning a by-election in 2023.

Francesca Semoso
Semoso (in white) with fellow MPs and Natasha Stott Despoja
Member of the National Parliament
Incumbent
Assumed office October 30, 2023
Preceded by	William Nakin
Constituency	North Bougainville Open
Personal details
Political party	Pangu Pati

Life

Semoso was a broadcaster at the National Broadcasting Commission for ten years and later joined private radio station UMI FM for a period of four years. In 2003 she moved back to Bougainville to participate in the post-civil war peace process. She joined the Bougainville Constitutional Commission, and campaigned for the inclusion of Temporary Special Measures in the Constitution to provide reserved seats for women in the new parliament.^[1]

Semoso was elected as a member of parliament in 2005 in the North Bougainville Women's Constituency seat. She also served as the Deputy Chairperson on the Standing Order Committee and on the Parliament Business Committee.^[1] She stood for and won the same seat again in the 2015 election.^[3]

Semoso also works with the Bougainville Women’s Federation to address violence against women and other issues affecting women.^[1]

In 2023, Semoso won a by-election as MP for North Bougainville for the Pangu Pati, becoming the first woman from Bougainville to win a seat in the Papua New Guinea parliament.^[4][5]

References

1. "Hon Francesca Rhianna Semoso, Deputy Speaker of the Bougainville House of Representatives, PNG - Pacific Women in Business". Pacific Women in Business. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
2. "More women need to become MPs: Semoso | Loop PNG". Loop PNG. 2017-12-18. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
3. "Preferences get Bougainville's Semoso back". Radio New Zealand. 2015-06-09. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
4. "Francesca Semoso: Bougainville's first woman MP in PNG's parliament". RNZ. 30 October 2023. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
5. "Semoso welcomed into ranks – The National". www.thenational.com.pg. Retrieved 14 November 2023.