Today 23 June on International Women in Engineering Day, the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP) celebrates the women designing, building and delivering infrastructure across the Pacific.
Graduate engineer Leilla Lialu is applying her civil engineering training to real-world situations working for Pacific Marine Group on the marine infrastructure works of the Kimbe Port Refurbishment Project under the AIFFP's PNG Ports Infrastructure Investment Program. Leilla is building her technical and management skills by overseeing dredging, pile driving and lab testing, alongside supporting project managers with daily reporting and contract administration.
Originally considering a career in mining engineering, Leilla was encouraged by her family to study civil engineering given the range of career pathways it presents – “you could work on roads, you could work on bridges, on buildings, anything. Anything you want to be, you can work on it.” This is proving true as Leilla sees her experience on the Kimbe Port Refurbishment Project broadening her career ambitions and potential future opportunities.
In line with the Pacific Quality Infrastructure Principles, the AIFFP embeds local content and inclusivity across its investments - creating opportunities for Pacific women and their businesses to participate in infrastructure projects and supporting local jobs, skills development and inclusive economic growth.
Leilla’s experience reflects our shared commitment across the Pacific to inclusive, transformative and locally driven infrastructure. Our investments are not only building physical infrastructure but also elevating the next generation of Pacific women engineers and creating pathways for them to participate, lead and shape the future of infrastructure in the Pacific.