Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
Solomon Islands has also !ommitted to #omen&s empo#erment +) appointin" the 1inistr) of Women, 2outh, 3hildren, and 4amil) 5ffairs 61W23457 as the National 1a!hiner) for the advan!ement of #omen$ In its Strategic Plan of Action '(+( , '(+', the 1inistr) has listed over 38 a!tions to address this issue and (ut!ome * spe!ifi!all) refers to the 9Improved e!onomi! status of #omen&$ It lists the follo#in" four initiatives0 1$ Develop poli!ies and pro"rams that involve #omen and men in natural resour!es development and mana"ement/ *$ Improved a!!ess to resour!es and land/ 3$ Improve a!!ess to le"al prote!tion and o#nership of finan!ial resour!es/ and 4$ Improve opportunities for #omen in pu+li!, private and !ommunit) se!tors$
Institutional support for "ender e-uit) is "ro#in" in Solomon Islands, and a re!ent innovative initiative is the in!lusion of a spe!ifi! performan!e indi!ator on "ender mainstreamin" in the annual performan!e appraisal of all .ermanent Se!retaries 6*81*7$ (ther positive moves in!lude the passin" of the 'viden!e 5!t 6*88:7, and the removal of the !orro+oration rule that treated as suspi!ious the eviden!e of a person #ho !laimed to have +een sexuall) assaulted$ ;ike#ise, a num+er of !ourt de!isions have re!o"nised that rape !an o!!ur #ithin marria"e$1 4urther 3a+inet has also adopted a poli!) on 'liminatin" <iolen!e a"ainst Women 6*8187$ =esults from the .eople&s Surve) *811 demonstrate a !lear shift in pu+li! per!eption, sho#in" that more than 8>? of Solomon Islanders +elieve there should #omen in parliament, #ith a vast ma@orit) advo!atin" for spe!ial reserved seats for #omen$ %his indi!ates #idespread support for "ender e-uit) initiatives amon" the people of Solomon Islands$
intervie#ed supported the idea of a proB#omen market spa!e #hi!h !ould also +e used as a spa!e for trainin" fa!ilities and information servi!es$ b! "ac# of credit facilities: 1an) #omen intervie#ed !omplained that the) did not have a!!ess to !redit, and that the fa!ilities that #ere availa+le #ere in hi"h demand$ 5lthou"h +anks did not !onsider that the) dis!riminated a"ainst #omen, the) did not a!tivel) lend to informal +usinesses #hi!h impa!ted on the a+ilit) of #omen to en"a"e in entrepreneurial a!tivities$ c! "ac# of accessing formal enforcement processes: Women intervie#ed did not have an) faith in the le"al s)stem prote!tin" their ri"hts and, a!!ordin"l), did not see the +enefits of +elon"in" to the formal se!tor$ %he) did not +elieve that the) #ould "et favoura+le treatment in the hands of "overnments or !ourts$ %here #as a "eneral la!k of kno#led"e and trust in the le"al s)stem$ d! %arassment of women in the informal sector: %his issue has +een a!kno#led"ed for man) )ears, and intervie#s #ith the Honiara 3it) 3oun!il offi!ers supported other ane!dotal information that !heatin" and harassment of #omen operatin" in the markets #as !ommon$ S!holarship in the area supports the proposition that #omen are more prone to !oer!ion and un!ons!iona+le +ehaviour as the) are "enerall) la!kin" !onfiden!e to !hallen"e authorit), there+) repli!atin" so!ial hierar!hies of po#er$ %hese threats impede the manner in #hi!h #omen operate their +usinesses$
provin!ial "overnments for their resultin" loss of revenue, althou"h there has +een no pro"ress to date$ market$ e! )ccessing commercial property is diffi!ult and expensive dependin" on 9#ho )ou kno#&, #ith the Doin" ,usiness Index rankin"s pla!in" Solomon Islands at 1 8 out of 18> e!onomies$ .eople are una#are of their ri"hts/ for example, the +usiness in!u+ation pro"ram has reserved *4 rentBsu+sidiCed shops at Honiara 3entral market and Iukum markets for #omen and the #omen intervie#ed had no kno#led"e of this pro"ram$ f! &ther barriers in!lude the la!k of ade-uate and !heap dispute resolution me!hanisms and eas) pro!esses for resolvin" +ankrupt!)$ Su!h fa!tors in!rease the re"ulator) +urden on people seekin" to start a +usiness and deter them from enterin" the formal se!tor$
*ecommendations
The Table on the following page makes a series of re!ommendations in!ludin" amendments to the la# #hi!h #ill ease the !onstraints fa!ed +) #omen, dire!ted strate"ies #hi!h #ill en!oura"e #omen to formaliCe their +usinesses and +enefit from the advanta"es that su!h formaliCation +rin"s, as #ell as identif)in" areas for poli!) development #hi!h #ill support further initiatives$
+ The
,acific ,rivate Sector -evelopment Initiative 6.SDI7 is a re"ional te!hni!al assistan!e fa!ilit) !oBfinan!ed +) 5ustralian 5id, the Ne# Lealand 5id .ro"ramme, and the 5sian Development ,ank 65D,7$ Sin!e *88 , .SDI has +een #orkin" #ith 5D,Ms 14 .a!ifi! Developin" 1em+er 3ountries to improve the ena+lin" environment for +usiness and support in!lusive, private se!torHled e!onomi! "ro#th$
*ecommendations
"aws./orms Fender and 'mplo)ment
5mendments to the -a.our Act
,roposed *eforms
=emove prohi+ition from #orkin" at ni"ht 5mend maternit) leave provisions In!lude domesti! #orkers, self emplo)ed #orkers and out#orkers into the le"islative frame#orks 5mend the provisions in dealin" #ith apprenti!es to remove "endered lan"ua"e 'n!oura"e +usiness men and #omen in the informal se!tor to !ontri+ute to the fund and amend the le"islation to remove a"e restri!tion for voluntar) !ontri+utions 5mend le"islation to allo# #omen to a!!ess de!eased or disa+led hus+and&s savin"s 3onsider the s!ope for the introdu!tion of e-ual pa) 'valuate the possi+ilit) of "ainin" support for unpaid leave to +e provided in addition to existin" maternit) provisions 5ssess the possi+ilit) of providin" trainin" for #omen seekin" emplo)ment Fau"e the potential for in!reased !hild !are fa!ilities and the potential for providin" tax dedu!tion in su!h instan!es =emove the need to suppl) spouses& details 6!urrentl) +ein" addressed +) the .SDI +usiness la# reform initiatives7 3onsider the provision of information +ro!hures and net#orks that address the mis!on!eptions that man) #omen have of the re"ulator) frame#ork 5ddress the la!k of skills and mentors #hi!h !onstrain #omen from a!!essin" the formal se!tor 5ssess the manner in #hi!h !urrent +usiness la# reforms impa!ts on rural #omen 5nal)se "ender disa""re"ated data that #ill in!rease a#areness of the nature of !onstraints and the impa!t of initiatives Develop a#areness !ampai"ns on the manner in #hi!h the !ommunit) !ompan) !ould +e used to en!oura"e #omen&s e!onomi! produ!tion =eassess the manner in #hi!h +ankrupt!) la#s ma) impa!t on #omen seekin" to enter the private se!tor In!orporate a variet) of pro!esses to provide information, trainin" and edu!ation that are linked to en!oura"in" #omen from the informal se!tor to transfer to the formal se!tor 5ssess the impa!t of "uarantee s!hemes run +) the 1inistr) of 3ommer!e and the 3entral ,ank on +usiness "ro#th and #omen&s e!onomi! empo#erment 'valuate the impa!t of mi!ro !redit s!hemes on the development of the private se!tor and su!!essful +usinesses
.oli!) Development
5mendments to the Registration of Business /ames Act Strate"ies for transitionin" to the formal se!tor
.oli!) Development
.oli!) Development
;evel *8, 4> 3laren!e Street, S)dne) NSW *888, 5ustralia %el N 1 * 8*A8 :444 ###$ad+$or"Opa!ifi!, ###$ad+psdi$or"