By Ezekiel Talatau
LEARNING about human rights is empowering women to speak out and improve equality in Solomon Islands.
A report issued from the global educations on human rights in Solomon Islands has divulges that most women are taking responsibilities in addressing the needs of or the family such as gardening, house cleaning, marketing, cooking and washing as part of their daily job.
Some woman are concerned about the consequences of their low status, including their powerlessness in decision-making and the high levels of domestic violence.
Since logging is a common issue in Solomon Islands resulting from man making decision. A well trained human rights Paralegal female Miri (partly funded by Australia Aid) is very concern on the logging issue by the large international company.
Meri stated that logging is significantly affecting the forest and the community have very little benefits as a results.
She added that in her cline, females had no power against males to speak for the right of the Community.
When their clan gathered his people to discuss the logging issue, she also attended. When Meri was about to share his points, she first ask the men if he could add something, but the man family couldn’t allow her to spoke on behalf, but she apologise to those men before she spoke.
She added that, their clan only receive short term economic benefits but looking in the long term, his generation will suffer from the effects of logging. Her points creates a door way for his people to see that she has a concern for the future generation of his clan.
Step-by-step the women of Solomon Islands are showing that they are capable of doing many things that they had previously been excluded from. Others can see that the culture survives and even thrives with the greater participation of women.
