Former Council of Women leader blasts gov’t for talk and no action
BY BEN BILUA
Gizo
FORMER President of the Western Province Council of Women (WPCW), Rendy Solomon, has criticised the national government and its line ministries for “talking too much” without providing the necessary support to implement women’s programs and activities across the provinces.
During a recent gathering, Solomon highlighted that rolling out government-endorsed programs at the provincial level remains a major challenge due to the country’s diverse geographical landscape.
She said some provinces have a clear advantage because of their smaller populations and lower logistical costs, but this is not the case for provinces like Western Province.
“For us, we have scattered islands and bringing all the participants together in one place requires a lot of effort and financial resources.
“Just think about Marovo to Shortland. The distance is quite far and, as I’ve said, it needs a huge amount of money to get women together,” Solomon said.
She added that the challenge does not end at gathering participants, noting that delivering programs and activities to remote communities is often a “hectic effort.”
Solomon reminds the government that Councils of Women serve as essential agents of the Ministry of Women, tasked with translating national policies and agendas into action at the community level.
She said these councils play a dual role — implementing programs and feeding information back to the government by identifying issues affecting women and girls in rural areas.
“If we look at how we operate, Councils of Women are playing an active role in ensuring that women’s issues are brought to light.
“Our role is to help the mother ministry and the government, and this requires extra support from the government,” Solomon said.
She warns that Councils of Women across the country will continue to struggle unless the government recognises and fully supports the vital work women perform in community development.
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