Why are there No Women in the Solomon Islands Parliament? Reflections of a DAWN GEEJ Pacific Training Institute Participant… Ender Rence works in the media department of the Solomon Islands Development Trust. She has been working on the Solomon Islands LINK Magazine since 2007. LINK is known as a national, community-led, and village level magazine in the Solomon Islands. Ender is strongly committed to her community and national media advocacy work, and to working with other women for real social justice.

Where are the women?

Increasing the representation of women in senior positions in our society and parliament institutes has always been a difficult issue in the Pacific Islands, especially Solomon Islands.  In the 21st century, despite having successfully secured some of the most senior positions in our society for our women the journey is still far from over when women are treated purely as house cleaner, to give birth, hands that rock the cradle, to breast feed and you can just name it. Recently Solomon Islands has just seen a zero number in the country’s 9th nation general election, out of the twenty six women contested during the election unfortunately none of them make it to the house on top of the hill.

Interestingly for the past four years to note many initiatives being implemented in the Melanesian dominated society to expand and improve female political representation from all sectors starting from village levels to the provincial, city councils, and the national levels.

Three years before the elections the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) Machinery of Government (MOG) Women in Shared Decision Making (WISDOM) introduced direct at women who were active within their political organisations. The programs included campaign strategies, the legal administrative aspects of competing, the assessment of strength and weaknesses, developing connections with other intending candidates and representing skills and gender issues. Looking at the registered voters for 2010, the data shows women made up of 49% of the country’s population, however less than half of the portion voted for a woman candidate, what went wrong?

Still there is a need to take these initiatives to the village people the women and men who made up the 85% of the population of this country and besides that they are the resource owners of this nation. In the last election women candidate faced many difficulties, particularly those who are new to the political arena, and besides that with the cultural and other barriers and family responsibilities, the race is not easy for them.

A female candidate Ms. Philistus Fafoi said women faced with many difficulties in balancing their responsibilities at home, and at work, unlike their male folk who do not have much to do so they have enough time for preparation for their campaigns.

With so many demands on candidates’ time, when contesting for elections at provincial and national levels there are inevitable fewer women than men attempting to reach higher ranks of government. Nonetheless this path to shared decision and power is contemplated by many capable, intelligent women.  So strong women’s groups, partners, governments and interested groups who supports womens participation of women in politics must do something to identify and support ways of women’s progress in whatever decision making body in the land said Ms. Fafoi.

After elections results were announced Director of the largest women’s media body in Solomon Islands Ms Josephine Teakeni said since we have no women in parliament it means women and men do not want to hear women’s issue in the largest decision making body.

Today a challenge for all of us both national, regional and international level the desire for the presence of women in politics, our objectives is for women to be treated as equal to everybody else, no matter of colour race, gender, religion, women must share the same opportunity as men, And the first step is to we must take is to identify ways in which women can reach the most senior positions on their own merit and under the same rules as their male colleagues she said.

To  women who do not have the trust in yourself or others, please stop and think we must stop keeping our man made rules and think differently and work together to show our solidarity in bringing peace, and security so that we could improve our standard of living.

Ender Rence

GEEJ Pacific and Africa discussions are available at DAWN Informs December 2010 Issue.