EUROPEAN Union (EU) has been supporting Solomon Islands through the promotion of good governance and gender issues in the past years will continue to do so.
The EU Attaché-Aid cooperation of EU to the Solomon Islands, Lorena Elvira Ayuso highlighted this yesterday at the start of the Transformational Leadership workshop which open in Honiara yesterday.
She said the assistance is part of EU’s development work in the Solomon Islands.
In partnership with UN Women, the European Union and Vois Blong Mere organised a week-long Transformational Leadership workshop for aspiring female women political candidates at the Heritage Park Hotel.
In her opening remarks, Ms Elvira Ayuso said it is important to highlight that the EU’s development work in the Solomon islands has been focused, among others on good governance and gender in the last years.
“We provide grants to a number of NGOs to promote the empowerment of women, to counter the scourge of violence against women and to promote gender equality,” she said.
“The EU has been supporting the Solomon islands National Council of Women since 2010, empowering women to have confidence and participate in leadership and management roles.”
She highlighted the EU’s support to UN Women for CEDAW implementation enabling Solomon Islands to prepare their reports.
“These activities contributed to creating an enabling environment for women to be willing to contest for the coming National General Election.”
Visiting American expert in women’s political leadership, Cathy Allen remarked that Solomon Islands need more women in parliament and it is time.
She said she is happy to help enhance the skills of aspiring female women political candidates and lead where they are.
Ms Allen will lead two-days of the workshop which is Tuesday and Thursday.
Four national facilitators will facilitate the workshop that begun yesterday.
By TRIXIE CARTER
