Francesca Semoso
{{short description|Bougainville (Papua New Guinea) politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Francesca Semoso
| image = Awg-womens-power-2 (cropped).jpg
| caption = Semoso in 2016
| office1 = Member of the National Parliament
| constituency1 = North Bougainville Open
| term_start1 = October 30, 2023
| term_end1 =
| predecessor1 = William Nakin
| successor1 =
| birth_place =
| birth_date =
| birth_name =
| party = Pangu Pati
| spouse =
| children =
| education =
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| profession =
}}
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.{{Cite news|url=http://pacificwomeninbusiness.com.au/blog/snapshot/hon-francesca-rhianna-semoso-deputy-speaker-bougainville-house-representatives-png/|title=Hon Francesca Rhianna Semoso, Deputy Speaker of the Bougainville House of Representatives, PNG - Pacific Women in Business|work=Pacific Women in Business|access-date=2018-07-11|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.looppng.com/png-news/more-women-need-become-mps-semoso-71278|title=More women need to become MPs: Semoso {{!}} Loop PNG|last=|first=|date=2017-12-18|work=Loop PNG|access-date=2018-07-11|language=en}} She is currently the MP for the North Bougainville Open, after winning a by-election in 2023.
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.
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. She stood for and won the same seat again in the 2015 election.{{Cite news|url=https://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/275765/preferences-get-bougainville's-semoso-back|title=Preferences get Bougainville's Semoso back|date=2015-06-09|work=Radio New Zealand|access-date=2018-07-11|language=en-nz}}
Semoso also works with the Bougainville Women’s Federation to address violence against women and other issues affecting women.
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.{{cite web |title=Francesca Semoso: Bougainville's first woman MP in PNG's parliament |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/501299/francesca-semoso-bougainville-s-first-woman-mp-in-png-s-parliament |website=RNZ |access-date=14 November 2023 |language=en-nz |date=30 October 2023}}{{cite web |title=Semoso welcomed into ranks – The National |url=https://www.thenational.com.pg/semoso-welcomed-into-ranks/ |website=www.thenational.com.pg |access-date=14 November 2023}}
References
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Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Speakers of the Bougainville House of Representatives
Category:Members of the Bougainville House of Representatives
Category:Bougainvillean women in politics
Category:Papua New Guinean broadcasters
Category:People from Buka Island
Category:Women members of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea
Category:Members of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea
Category:21st-century Papua New Guinean politicians