National systems are stacked against women!

J. Roughan

14 July 2010

Honiara 

Ethel Sigimanu, PS of Women's Affairs, recently raised a critical question: Why do so few women ever make it to the national honours list? Last week, on 7 July, our Independence anniversary day, a single woman among seven men was publicly recognized on our annual medal presentation day.  But every medal presentation day is always the same—many more men than women. Surely the answer can't be that this one lady was the only candidate that government could find out of the 257,323 (2009 Census) women in the country.

 

No, the answer lies in the fact that a number of major systems and structures—political, cultural, economic, historical, etc.—are actually and firmly structured against women and their vital interests. Is it by accident that 349 men have sat in parliament since 1978 but only a single woman in these 32 years has beaten the system and made the grade? 

 

Over a three decade period, then,  Solomons men have been announcing to the world and in no uncertain terms that they and they alone can safely steer the Ship of State! Women, least of all, should apply! Yet a brief review of men's handling of the Ship Of State is revealing. Their 32 year track record during is filled with many incidences of economic incompetence, political failure and miserable leadership.

 

Back in 1982, for instance, our currency was as strong as the American dollar. During those days, one Solomons dollar could be exchanged for a US banknote. Now it takes 8 Solomon Islands dollars to buy a single US note if you can find a bank willing to make the exchange. Certainly overseas banks won't touch our currency when you try to use it while travelling overseas. Some of our Pacific neighbours —Samoa and Vanuatu—have had to weather the same financial storms as ourselves over these past years but have escaped the worst poor leadership which we have had to endure.

 

Unfortunately, this economic mismanagement continues to this day in spite of the nearly one billion dollars Australia pumps into our economy yearly through RAMSI and other aid arrangements. As a matter of fact, Solomon Islands receives more foreign aid per person than any other Pacific Islands nation. What is wrong here? Could women do as badly?

 

But surely, I hear you say, our members know all these facts and are working furiously to correct the situation. Unfortunately, just the opposite is happening.

 

Take the issue of illiteracy. Back in 1989, Dr. Mosley, a medical practitioner working for Honiara City Council at the time, conducted a solid survey on literacy rates across the country. Her findings were upsetting: only 24% men could read but women's literacy rates were lower at 19%. With such poor literacy rates, you would think that Parliament would have long ago set up a strong literacy campaign. In today's world, no nation can safely exist if its citizens are unable to read or write. Yet, none of our political leaders and no political party could bring themselves to galvanize the nation into a major literacy campaign to raise literacy rates across the nation.

 

Yet, these same leaders are calling for more government money for university education when their own people, especially their own women, rarely enjoy adult education classes and instruction. There is no short cut to creating a strong nation. Focusing on the training and education of a select few at the expense of the many is a recipe for failure.

 

But the most dangerous thing about a nation unwilling to raise all its citizens equally is severe social unrest. We have already witnessed this very situation during the 1998-2003 period. Make no mistake about it, besides the poor development planning, deadly levels of corruption, land mismanagement, lack of solid leadership at all levels and money politics, the down grading of women is no less central in explaining why our nation went off the social rails during our unrest years.

 

Finding a proper place for women in our parliament must never be viewed as a luxury.  Our nation needs their experience, insights and strengths to insure that our nation actually flies with two wings and is not grounded permanently in the mud.