Veronica Somare

Veronica Somare (née Kaiap; born 1946), known as Lady Somare, is a former first lady of Papua New Guinea. Her husband, Sir Michael Somare, was the country's first prime minister and is known as the "father of the nation." Veronica Somare has been honoured for her own role in the establishment of Papua New Guinea and her position as the country's inaugural first lady.[1][2][3]

Veronica Somare
Veronica Somare
First Lady of Papua New Guinea
In office
17 January 2011 – 4 April 2011
In office
5 August 2002 – 13 December 2010
In office
2 August 1982 – 21 November 1985
In office
16 September 1975 – 11 March 1980
Personal details
Born
Veronica Kaiap

1946 (age 76–77)
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1965; died 2021)​
ChildrenBetha, Sana, Arthur, Michael, and Dulciana

Biography

Somare was born Veronica Kaiap in 1946, as a member of the Mindamot lineage.[4][5] Somare's father was Mathew Kaiap and she is one of eleven siblings.[5][6]

in 1965, at age 19, she married Michael Somare.[4][5][7] The couple had met that year in Wewak, and Michael was immediately taken with Veronica, courting her quickly in "the village fashion."[8] They had five children together: Betha, Sana, Arthur, Michael, and Dulciana.[7] The pair remained married until Michael's death in 2021.[7]

Veronica Somare became first lady of Papua New Guinea in 1975, when her husband became the country's first prime minister. After finishing his term in 1980, he went on to serve two subsequent terms from 1982 to 1985 and from 2002 to 2011.[7] Veronica cared for their children while supporting her husband's ambitious political career. In 2005, she told an interviewer, "I had to explain to the children that Papa ino blong yupela tasol. Em papa blong kantri tu (Your father is not yours alone. He is also the Father of the country)."[5]

Later, Michael Somare emphasized Veronica's role in his political success: "She was a young woman who changed my life so that I could have the credibility at home and professionally."[9] After the former prime minister's death, Prime Minister James Marape described Veronica as the "steadying hands that steadied our late Grand Chief."[10]

In 2008, she was awarded the Order of Logohu for her contributions to Papua New Guinea.[11]

While Somare's primary focus has been supporting her family throughout her husband's prominent career, she is also deeply interested in the cultivation of orchids. In 1981, an orchid commonly known as the Sepik Blue was formally named dendrobium Veronica Somare.[5][12] She has also been involved in various philanthropic and development efforts, including the country's microfinance bank for women.[13]

References
  1. "Lady Veronica honoured". The National (Papua New Guinea). 2021-03-15. Archived from the original on 2022-09-09. Retrieved 2022-09-09.
  2. "Marape Thanks Lady Somare". Papua New Guinea Post-Courier. 2021-03-15. Archived from the original on 2021-12-31. Retrieved 2022-09-09.
  3. Yafoi, Melisha (2022-02-25). "Lady Somare A Competent Woman". Papua New Guinea Post-Courier. Archived from the original on 2022-04-09. Retrieved 2022-09-09.
  4. "How a cop's son became PM". The National. 2021-03-02. Retrieved 2021-12-31.
  5. "The good lady". Papua New Guinea Post-Courier. 2005-09-09.
  6. "In-laws praise Chief". The National (Papua New Guinea). 2021-03-19. Archived from the original on 2021-03-19. Retrieved 2022-09-10.
  7. Zhuang, Yan (2021-02-26). "Michael Somare, Papua New Guinea's 'Father of the Nation,' Dies at 84". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-12-31.
  8. Lipset, David (2007). "Women without Qualities: Further Courtship Stories Told by Young Papua New Guinean Men". Ethnology. 46 (2): 93–111. doi:10.2307/20456616. ISSN 0014-1828. JSTOR 20456616.
  9. "Sir Michael owed his achievements to East Sepik people". The National. 2021-03-02. Retrieved 2021-12-31.
  10. "Marape thanks Lady Somare". Papua New Guinea Post-Courier. 2021-03-14. Retrieved 2021-12-31.
  11. "Govt praised for recognising women". Papua New Guinea Post-Courier. 2008-01-07.
  12. "Sepiks growing good orchids". Papua New Guinea Post-Courier. 2010-12-15.
  13. Bashir, Mohammad (2011-05-30). "Women start microbank". Papua New Guinea Post-Courier.
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