Twenty-four women are confirmed to contest the November 19 elections.
This was confirmed in the final candidates list the Electoral Commission released, Friday.
All provinces, except Renbel, will see at least one woman contesting.
Malaita will see five women contesting amongst the 144 candidates.
Another five will contest for the three Honiara seats.
Central Honiara Constituency recorded the highest number of women – three – vying for the seat.
They include the only two women who have been ever elected to parliament since independence – Hilda Kari and Vika Koto Lusibaea.
The third candidate is Tilaila Nikkapp Buarafi.
Kari, the first woman to have been elected to parliament, is a former MP for East Guadalcanal. She previously served two terms.
Lusibaea was the outgoing MP for north Malaita. She was elected in 2012 after her husband Jimmy Lusibaea lost the seat because of a court conviction.
She moved to Honiara this time because her husband is contesting the North Malaita seat again.
Guadalcanal will see four women contesting in the elections.
Makira, Temotu, Isabel, and Western provinces will see two each.
Central and Choiseul provinces have each one woman contesting.
In the 2010 elections, 25 women contested, while the 2006 polls saw 26.
BY ALFRED PAGEPITU
