The Cabinet has recently endorsed and adopted the revised National Strategy for Economic Empowerment of Women and Girls 2020-2023, submitted by the Minister for Women, Youth, Children and Family Affairs, the Honourable Freda Rotutafi Rangirei.
The National Strategy for Economic Empowerment of Women & Girls 2020-2023 is a key outcome of the Ministry’s National Gender Equality and Women’s Development Policy 2016-2020 Priority Outcome 2: Improved Economic Status of Women.
The Strategy is also aligned to Solomon Islands national, regional and international commitments to advancing gender equality and improving the economic status of women and girls in Solomon Islands.
The cabinet outcome was welcomed by the Ministry of Women Youth Children and Family Affairs (MWYCFA).
The first National Strategy for the Economic Empowerment of Women and Girls was endorsed and adopted in 2015 outlining five strategic focus areas.
Following 4 years of implementation, a review on the effectiveness, success and achievements of the five strategic focus areas was commissioned and completed in 2020.
An area of great achievement of the first Strategy revealed by the review report was the increase and widespread of saving clubs established under the Ministry of Women Youth, Children and Family Affairs, reaching into the provincial and rural communities.
The purpose of the second Strategy is to address the gaps and areas for improvement identified in the review and pave the way for women and girls in Solomon Islands to realizing their economic potentials.
The Ministry of Women, Youth, Children and Family Affairs will continue to focus on leading and coordinating the implementation of the second Strategy including its reporting obligation.
The Strategy identifies the following key strategic focus areas to realizing women’s economic empowerment: supporting gender mainstreaming as an approach to working with the whole of government; addressing financial inclusion especially targeting the informal sector; enterprise development and improved employment opportunities; creating an enabling environment through legislation and policy changes; and the institutional strengthening of Ministry of Women, Youth, Children and Family Affairs.
The implementation of the second Strategy places more emphasis on reaching rural and remote areas, building stronger partnerships and linking economic empowerment more closely to other elements of the Gender
Equality and Women’s Development Policy particularly gender mainstreaming, women’s leadership, preventing violence and increased access to education for women and girls.
An official launch of the revised Strategy is planned for 30th July 2021, an event marking the beginning of the MWYCFA’s awareness and advocacy program on the Women’s Economic Empowerment Strategy 2020-2023.
And following the launch, a National Task Force will be established to provide guidance and strategic leadership in monitoring the strategy’s implementation progress.
Review and development of the revised Strategy was made possible with support from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade under its Gender Equality Program.
MWYCFA Press