The National Coalition for Rural Advancement (NCRA) Government is committed to developing a Solomon Islands where there is gender equality that enhances women's rights.

In his address to mark the Commonwealth Day in Honiara, Prime Minister Danny Philip said his Government is committed to take up the challenge based on its broad policy of "creating and promoting opportunities with the central objective of providing equal access to development opportunities for all Solomon islanders."

"As head of the NCRA Government, I do not hesitate to pledge our commitment to stand with other members of the commonwealth family in upholding these noble values and goals," Prime Minister Philip said.

The Prime Minister said the theme for this year's Commonwealth Day celebrations, 'Women as Agents for Change', brings everyone face to face with an issue of great challenge to the Commonwealth Family, including Solomon Islands.

The theme calls on commonwealth nation states to invest in women and girls in order to maximize their participation and contribution to the country's social, economic, and political development agenda aimed at creating a better Solomon Islands for future generations.

Prime Minister Philip said the theme is supported by Governments "Gender Equity and Development Policy," which recognizes that in order to achieve gender balance; government will need to focus on increasing institutional strengthening and capacity building, through urban and rural development initiatives.

The NCRA Government through the Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and the government's newly established National Bureau for Social and Economic Reforms with support from other government ministries is embarking on a process that would see these policies incorporated into the Government's proposed National Development Strategy for 2011 - 2015.


Copyright @ 2011. GCU. All Rights Reserved.