Excerpt and Photo from devpolicy.org
On 29 December 2023, the Solomon Islands National Cabinet approved the introduction of temporary special measures (TSMs) to improve women’s political representation in the Provincial Government Assemblies (PGAs). Slated as an amendment to the Provincial Government Amendment Bill, the measures are expected to be voted on in the National Parliament this year, marking a momentous milestone in the fight for gender equality in Solomon Islands.
Women’s political participation and representation has been an ongoing challenge in Solomon Islands. Since independence in 1978, only eight women have been elected to the National Parliament. At the provincial level there are currently only five female members out of 173 members (2.8%). Women seeking leadership roles face many barriers including a patriarchal culture, religious norms, lack of education, and money politics. For example, in the recent 2024 election it was announced that two serving female MPs would not stand for re-election, stepping aside so that their husbands could contest their seats. The fact that only six per cent of candidates in the 2024 election were women, with only eight elected across national and provincial levels, further underscores the existing gender disparity in political representation.
However, over the past six years the Women’s Rights Action Movement (WRAM) has been leading a campaign to change this situation alongside their partners, the Ministry of Women, Youth, Children and Family Affairs (MWYCFA) and the Solomon Islands National Council of Women (SINCW). Their goal is to improve women’s political representation at the provincial government level through TSMs.