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Gender Inclusive Private Sector Enabling Environment Framework “absolutely critical and timely”—Solomon Islands
A group of nearly 30 representatives from government and civil society gathered in Honiara, Solomon Islands on Friday 6 October for a workshop to review and validate the PSDI gender-inclusive private sector enabling environment framework assessment for Solomon Islands. The workshop was held in partnership with PSDI, the Solomon Islands’ Ministry of Women, Youth, Children and Family Affairs, and the Solomon Islands’ Ministry of Commerce, Industry, Labour and Immigration.
The assessment uses a PSDI-developed framework to measure the gender inclusivity of the private sector enabling environment in the Pacific across seven dimensions:
- Gender equality context
- Workplace environment
- Business enabling environment
- Financial inclusion and access to capital
- Participation in key economic sectors
- Technology and the future of work
- Leadership and voice
The process to develop the framework and checklist encompassed an extensive literature review and consultations with stakeholders to assess existing frameworks, determine how they may or may not apply in the Pacific, and ascertain whether data are available to support the measurement of a gender inclusive enabling environment. The Solomon Islands workshop was the first in a series of workshops that PSDI is now holding to discuss and validate its findings for individual countries.
Above: Workshop participants.
Dr Cedric Alependava, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Women, Youth, Children and Family Affairs offered opening remarks, stating the government’s commitment to removing the “persistent barriers to women’s leadership, including in the private sector” and thanked PSDI for the development of the “absolutely critical and timely” framework.
The group discussed their thoughts on whether the PSDI assessment reflected the current legislative and policy environment supporting private sector development in Solomon Islands, and discussed reform opportunities, priorities, and possible next steps for the Government of Solomon Islands.
“This is a very important tool for us to see where we can all partner together to share our knowledge, experience, and skills that will help everyone participate equally in our economy,” stated Mr Eric George Ongoa, Deputy Secretary, from the Solomon Islands’ Ministry of Commerce, Industry, Labour and Immigration in his closing remarks. “This gender inclusive instrument is very important for us—to check our policies and see where we can connect all the dots together with our relevant Ministries and stakeholders.”
Keep an eye out for PSDI’s gender inclusive private sector enabling environment framework, which will be published in late-2023.
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