A book on leading women in Solomon Islands entitled 'Being the First', published in Solomons Pidgin – the only widely spoken language will be officially launched today.
The book to be launched at the Commonwealth Youth Program hall this afternoon will coincide with the celebrations of the International Womens Day.
Marilyn Waring, editor of 'Being the First', was the woman behind the compilation of the book which focused on the country's leading women in the period following independence from Britain 32 years ago.
Professor Waring, a former New Zealand MP, learned of the lack of a record of top women when she worked with the Solomon Islands' Alice Pollard on women's issues for the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI).
Women selected for profiles include Hilda Kari, "the first and only ever woman member of parliament.
"About 12 of those in the book are the first women ever to become permanent secretaries or deputy permanent secretaries of government ministries," she said.
"One, Cathie Adifaka is the first woman who was a public services commissioner, and Catherine actually conducted all the interviews in Solomon Islands pidgin, which isn't a written language.
"And then we had to have that transcribed by another young Solomon Islands woman, Cynthia Wickham."
Ms Wickham, who graduated in marine science from an Australian university, was on a boat in the Pacific when the editors sent her voice files to check.
"And she would transcribe them in pidgin, then make a first translation into English," Mrs Waring said.
"Being The First' can also be ordered online for $NZ25, from the website of the Pacific Media Centre, at Auckland University of Technology (AUT), New Zealand.
The launch ceremony starts at 2pm.
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