OPPOSITION Leader Matthew Wale has encouraged women intending to contest the next National General Elections to join political parties, citing the high cost of participating in elections in Solomon Islands.
He said the increasing cost is largely due to the country’s scattered geography and difficult terrain.
Speaking during a panel discussion at the Women’s Political Participation Forum held at Heritage Park Hotel on Wednesday, Wale said joining a political party provides candidates with much-needed support during election campaigns.
The theme of the forum is Addressing Financial and Cultural Barriers that Limit Women’s Political Participation in Solomon Islands.
Wale explained that political parties are able to mobilise resources and raise funds to support their members.
“As a wing leader of one of the largest parties in the country, the Solomon Islands Democratic Party (SIDP), we have found it difficult to recruit women as candidates,” he said.
“I encourage women to join political parties—not only when elections are approaching, but well before that—to learn about politics. When the election comes and you have the passion to run, you will be ready.”
SIDP member Dr Alice Pollard, who unsuccessfully contested the West Are’Are constituency twice, supported Wale’s remarks, saying party membership provides important backing during election campaigns.
Minister for Women, Youths, Children and Family Affairs, Cathy Nori, shared her personal experience of losing two elections in the Maringe/Kokota constituency before eventually winning.
She said the cost of contesting elections is extremely high due to the scattered nature of the islands.
“Even though I lost, people still came to me for assistance because in our politics, if you did not vote for the winning candidate, you may not receive assistance,” she said.
“Therefore, I continued to assist my people until the next election.”
Minister Nori said she learned from her previous losses, improved her strategy, and eventually defeated former MP Dr Culwick Togamana in the last election.
However, she said she faced criticism during her campaign, including questions about her educational qualifications and the way she dressed.
Meanwhile, Chief Electoral Officer Jasper Highwood Anisi confirmed that election expenses have increased significantly over the past 10 years and are expected to rise further in the coming years.
The forum aimed to provide a collaborative platform for dialogue, knowledge sharing and action planning to strengthen women’s political participation by addressing financial and cultural barriers limiting their representation.
The forum was jointly hosted by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy and the Centre for Islands Future at Solomon Islands National University.
British High Commissioner to Solomon Islands, His Excellency Paul Turner, was the guest of honour at the forum.
