ASPIRING WOMEN POLITICIANS AND SUPPORTERS TRAINED

Aspiring women political candidates from around the country and male champions of women in leadership are currently attending a five-day training on Transformational Leadership.

The training was officially opened at the Heritage Park Hotel Conference Room in Honiara yesterday.

EU’s Attache for Aid Cooperation, Lorena Ayuso told participants to participate actively in the training, adding they can make a difference in their communities.

“I encourage you to be brave and include in the electoral agenda topics that are crucial for women and men and having been sufficiently tackled so far in the country and I encourage you to show your communities that you can make a difference as MPs in politics in your country for the benefit of men, women, girls and boys.”

The Transformational Leadership Training is funded by the European Union and facilitated by UN Women and Vois Blo Mere Solomon.

Meanwhile, the visiting expert in gender and political leadership, Cathy Allen says this is Solomon Islands turn to have more women representation in Parliament.

Ms Allen, from the United States, made the statement at the official opening of the Transformational Leadership training yesterday.

She says it is time for Solomon Islands to have more women in Parliament.

“And the reason I’m here is because Solomon Islands it’s your turn, it is your turn to be able to stand up with the rest of the world and to have your women representation, you know, in the world right now 181 countries, of those 181 countries the average number of women in parliaments is 22 percent. Now, you’ve done a good job in terms of two percent here but now you needed to be 22 percent. We need to have more women and it is time.”

SIBC News understands Cathy Allen will be discussing the importance of women’s political leadership in Solomon Islands development in a lecture at the Solomon Islands National University, this evening.