This resource is dedicated to all the women in Papua New Guinea who have enriched my life through my interactions with them as a doctor in antenatal clinics or during delivery.

To those women who have trusted me enough to share their triumphs and difficulties with me over many years, as a young doctor, and continuing to this day, giving me a unique and valued perspective into what it means to be a woman in Papua New Guinea.

To those women who have pushed through and persevered during tough times.

And to those men who have stood by, supported, pushed against the grain, been supportive when it mattered, and stood up to be supportive partners and fathers.

Most importantly, this resource is dedicated to:

• My grandmother, Encratis, mother to 7 children.
• My six sisters: Mari-Jane, Jemimah, Bessie, Yasap, Arabella, and Kimberly.
• My mother, Jane.
• My Stepmother, Margaret.
• My partner, Adelaide, and her Mum, Elizabeth.

And maybe most importantly to my son Timothy and the next generation of young Papua New Guineans. I hope you find some of these principles valuable as you plan your own life and family sometime in the near future. Go well, my Son.

Pat and Bubu Meri - Encratis