BY LYNTON AARON FILIA

THERE is an increasing number of reported violence on women and young women in Guadalcanal, Malaita and Western provinces, a report from Strongim Bisnis and Oxfam shows.

As a result, women from the selected locations in the research highlight that they are facing ‘lack of opportunities to participate in community’s social economic development’.

The report said women and young women across the three provinces have explicitly identified facing risks of violence.

It is in the course of undertaking unpaid care tasks which is a common form of punishment from husbands or partners for not completing their expectations.

To make it worse, many women interviewed in the research reveal that they are beaten by their husbands.

“Two have died in the past two years; one had a pot of hot rice thrown at her by her husband and this killed her. The other committed suicide because her husband was always belittling her,” the report shows.

Alcohol is also another aggravating factor, as highlighted by a young woman in Guadalcanal, saying “Sometimes our husbands drink and if we don’t please them, it causes trouble.”

Peculiarly, Guadalcanal women and young women, while identifying with the high risk of being attacked by a male member of the community going to and from the garden, also reveal that they are at risk of being attacked by Vele (local magic practitioners).

This threat is countered by women going to gardens in groups, the report says.

While women’s roles are expanding to encompass economic roles with paid work, women and young women in the three sites generally do not feel as though care duties are changing over time.

Some time and effort-saving resources have been secured at the household and community levels such as roads, tanks, water supply systems, solar power, wheelbarrows, kitchen and cleaning equipment and greater availability of transport.

Women’s increasing economic role has not been mirrored by an increase in support from men or new services or resources to ease their burden.

While most women want their husbands and sons to provide more support in this work, there was reluctance among some women to delegate work due to bride price and traditional gender roles.

BY LYNTON AARON FILIA

SOCIAL norms around age have become very limited to young women and youths, a report shows.

A 2018 report compiled by Strongim Bisnis and Oxfam Solomon Islands shows less participation of women and young people with social norms around age.

Youths appear to be affected by age-based discrimination to varying degrees and more so for unmarried youth especially young women.

According to the report, young unmarried women experience triple discrimination due to age, marital status and gender.

As described by a young woman in the Western province community, “Young married women can make some decisions, but if we are unmarried, we don’t have power.”

To varying degrees, this manifests in young men and especially young women exclusion from family and community decision-making and economic opportunities.

Young women are extremely restricted by social norms; they have a huge burden of unpaid care work, have limited education and economic opportunities and are managing the risks of violence in households and communities on a daily basis, often through limiting their mobility.

In some instances, such as in Guadalcanal, they showed more support for discriminatory social norms than young men and were challenged envisioning alternative futures.

However, from the report young women from Western province supports the theory that education of young women as well as other community members, is an important lever for young women’s empowerment.

BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

THE case of the Member of Parliament Peter Shanel and his co-accused will appear in court today for mention.

This is in relation to the case of assault alleged to have occurred at Lengakiki some years back.

The MP with his co-accused were charged for counts of assault causing actual bodily harm in relation to the incident.

The allegation said that the MP and the co-accused punched the complainant on the forehead and left eye, causing bruises.

It was further alleged that the MP then held on to the alleged victim’s back-pack, pulled him towards him and kicked him on his legs, which resulted in the victim allegedly falling onto the ground.

The matter then was reported to the police in which the two accused were charged for the alleged offence.

Office of the Director Public Prosecution appears for the crown on the case.

POLICE at Buala in Isabel province have arrested and charged a 24-year-old male suspect for allegedly wounding a 50-year-old male victim at Varagia Camp, Kotavo Ward, South West Isabel Province on November 3, 2018.

Provincial Police Commander (PPC) Isabel province, Superintendent Leonard Tahnimana says, “The wounding incident occurred shortly after the suspect had an argument with his drinking mates behind a company workshop.

“The suspect chased his friend but could catch reach him during the argument.

“During the chase, the suspect met up with the victim who did not know anything about the argument and allegedly struck the victim on the back of his neck with a bush knife.”

“I appeal to both parties involved in this wounding incident to refrain from taking the law in to your own hands but allow police to investigate and prosecute the matter before court.”

–POLICE MEDIA

BY BARNABAS MANEBONA

THE Honiara public transport services closed down due to the staged sit-in protest yesterday had caused huge public inconvenience for the general public in Honiara.

Public and private sectors’ officers and school students plus the whole general public faced an experience of a lifetime in the history of Solomon Islands having no public transport to service them.

The staged sit-in protest by public transport business owners caused people to walk distances wearily while lucky ones received pick-ups from family members and friends to reach their destinations slowing arrival timings everywhere.

There is disappointing call now from the general public for the government to always set their laws fair in the country to avoid such situations that would only cause inconvenience for everyone as experienced.

“What we experienced today [yesterday] is totally not acceptable. The government must always be fair with their law makings too over which what happened today is a warning for them of what might come in the future if they continue to only implement laws suiting themselves,” said members of the general public to Island Sun.

With a bold move for consultations by the public transport associations and their Committee over the government’s recent said high-charge on yearly tax returns for public transport businesses enforced, an agreement has been made between the Inland Revenue Development (IRD) and public transport associations Committee to lesser the amount of tax charged seeing public transport services now resuming since yesterday late in the evening.