Guadalcanal Province premier Anthony Veke says Guadalcanal Province needs equal participation from its entire population to attain sustainable development in the province.
Premier Veke said all men and women must participate.
He made this comment when congratulating the province’s women and girls in the successful launching of the province’s women’s policy framework on Wednesday last week.
“As highlighted in the policy framework of my government, the equal participation of all girls, boys, women, and men is important for the sustainable development of Guadalcanal Province,” he added.
He said, although Guadalcanal is a matrilineal society, men dominated decision making in the family, clan/tribe, community as well as at the provincial and national levels of government.
“Girls and women are not fairly represented in many aspects of life on Guadalcanal Province,”Veke said.
“Many do not attend formal education and live in rural communities doing domestic work for the continued survival of the family, clan, tribe, communities and the province,” he said.
He added that although more girls and boys are now involved in decision making and are taking up leadership roles in the family, community, provincial and national levels of government, more needs to be done.
“Therefore I strongly believe that the Guadalcanal Provincial Women’s Policy on Gender Equality and Equal Participation in Development 2016-2019, is the way forward to addressing key issues of human rights to ensuring gender-based participation in the sustainable development of Guadalcanal Province.”
He pledged that his government will continue to support the implementation of the policy.
Veke also called on all stakeholders to work together in the implementation of the policy.
“I also called on members of the international donor community to come forward with technical and financial assistance in supporting the implementation of this policy in order to achieve gender balanced sustainable development on Guadalcanal Province and Solomon Islands as a whole,” the premier said.
By STEPHEN DIISANGO
