Country profile:
Solomon Islands is an archipelago of more than 900 islands in the South Pacific. The people in this country face significant challenges across the areas of climate resilience, gender equity and inclusive governance.
Recent research shows climate finance flows are increasing, but that does not necessarily mean that climate finance is adequate or that finance is translating into concrete benefits on the ground.
Women in Solomon Islands face a number of systemic and deep-rooted barriers to full participation, including heavily male-dominated decision-making systems and practices, reinforced by gender stereotypes that portray women as less able than men to lead or make decisions.
Women are often prevented from gaining leadership positions because of low levels of education, a high burden of family care responsibility, high levels of violence, and underlying discriminatory social norms. As a result, women’s voices and priorities are often absent or secondary in decision-making within the household, the community, provincial government plans and national policies.
Our Partner
WARA is an Indigenous, women-led organisation with deep experience of gender equity and women’s empowerment in rural communities in Solomon Islands. WARA works to promote women’s economic empowerment and leadership through savings associations which give women a space to come together, store their savings safely, and learn more about managing their finances and running small businesses. Through this work, women have become more self-reliant, so that they are not dependent on their husbands to earn the money or give them money, or dependent on their local MP to give them money for school fees.
WARA’s long-standing presence and deep relationships in Malaita have laid a strong foundation for the opening of community and tribal governance forums to women, and for more equally shared decision-making within households.
In February 2023, WARA organised a three-day Leadership Forum, gathering leaders from different sectors – chiefs, youth, women, church leaders, and experts from government and non-government organisations – to discuss important issues, including the climate crisis and the ‘Are’are leadership system itself.
The Forum successfully provided a space for the voices of women, and of young men and women, paving the way for sustainable leadership into the future.
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