BY MAVIS NISHIMURA PODOKOLO
THE $500,000 which has been allocated for the Ministry of Women Youth Children and Family Affairs will be focusing on youths and possibly children and having women missing out is a wakeup call, it is reported.
This was highlighted yesterday in an information sharing forum which was organised by the Solomon Islands National Council of Women (SINCW) executive, the Ministry of Women Youth Children and Family Affairs (MWYCFA) as well as a representative from the Prime Minister Office.
It was organised purposely for responsible authorities to come forward and clarify and help women to understand why ‘zero budget’ was a final provision allocated to women of Solomon Islands.
According to the General Secretary (SINCW) Casper Fa’asala, the budget allocation is a wakeup call for the MWYCF, its agencies, women organisations and women individuals in the country.
“Which means it’s a call for the MWYCF, its agencies especially the SINCW to strengthen its work as well as individual women and women organizations in this country needs to be committed seriously on whatever works with regards to women that needed to be done.
“Also there must be collaboration, communications, and a conducive environment in terms of the process for better consultation and improve dialogues on matters where women can understand to help them venture into upper leadership levels,” he said.
Fa’asala adds that these are some of the essential missing links which needs attention for the mentioned parties to relook at and consider them seriously in order to measure all work performances for better service delivery for the benefit of all the women in this country.
Meanwhile the Permanent Secretary of the MWYCFA Dr Cedrick Alependava says the money allocated to them is very small thus only youths and children will be able to benefit in the development sector.
However, he says women can still be able to access funds in the recurrent budget in the form of grant.
