SOLOMON ISLANDS: Confidence Handful of Women Candidates Will Do Well in Solomons Election

Date: 
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Source: 
Radio New Zealand International
Countries: 
Asia
Oceania
Solomon Is.
PeaceWomen Consolidated Themes: 
Participation

The leader of a Solomon Islands women's organisation says a number of strong women are standing in next month's election, and there is hope four or five could make it to parliament.

25 of the 509 candidates running in next month's election are women, down slightly from the 26 who stood in 2006.

Several female politicians have expressed disappointment that more women are not standing in the August 4 election.

But Sarah Dyer, from the Women in Leadership programme, says she's happy with 25 women candidates.

She says they've been offering training to prepare them for leadership: “Confidence building, the roles of MPs, the electoral process, and we've had counselling sessions, you know this is to take them through what is expected of them once they get into parliament and whether they are prepared and ready to contest this election.”

Only one woman has ever been elected to parliament in Solomon Islands.