On 13 October 2017, the School Poster and Essay competition was officially launched at the Provincial Chamber in Buala, the provincial capital of Isabel province, in Solomon Islands.
The Solomon Islands Electoral Commission (SIEC) and the Ministry of Education, Human Resource and Development (MEHRD) with support from the UNDP’s Strengthening the Electoral Cycle in the Solomon Islands Project (SECSIP), organized this competition and invited secondary school students and teachers to provide their views on Women’s Leadership and Political Participation, by addressing the following questions:
- What do you think are key elements to achieving gender equality in schools in Solomon Islands? (for Junior secondary students)
- Identify barriers that make it difficult for women to be in parliament, provincial assemblies and other senior government offices. Suggest possible solutions to increase women’s leadership and political participation. (for Senior Secondary Students)
- Either: Discuss key factors to consider in order to successfully implement the Temporary Special Measures (TSM)?
- Or is the school curriculum promoting the importance of increasing representation in parliament, provincial assemblies and in senior government positions? Why do you think so? (for teachers)
From 30 October to 1 November 2017, members of the SIEC/SECSIP team travelled to East Guadalcanal in the Weather coast area to visit the schools of Avuavu Provincial Secondary and Makaruka, Kopiu and Potau Community High Schools, to conduct the activities of the school election project, which includes a mock election organized by the students, and to promote the above referred Poster and Essay Competition among students and teachers. During its visit to Isabel province, the SIEC/SECSIP team also conducted the mock election exercises at Guguha Community High School and Jejevo Community High School under the on-going School Elections Project. In total, it is estimated that 765 participants benefited from these school activities focusing on voter awareness and women’s political participation.
Additionally, the team conducted activities for the pre-testing of three new posters for the voter awareness campaign ‘your vote is valuable’. The feedback obtained from the pre-testing exercises conducted in Isabel province will be analyzed together with the previously obtained across various provinces in the Solomon Islands. The overall assessment will then be used by the SIEC/SECSIP team to define and finalize the most appropriate concept/s for this awareness campaign.
The School Elections Project and the Essay and Poster Competition on Women’s Leadership and Political Participation are conducted by the Solomon Islands Electoral Commission with the support of the UNDP Strengthening the Electoral Cycle in the Solomon Islands Project (SECSIP), funded by the European Union and the government of Australia.
Read more on the 2017 School Poster and Essay competition.
See the SIEC Facebook page
Since 2013, UNDP Strengthening the Electoral Cycle in the Solomon Islands Project (SECSIP) has contributed to the inclusiveness and integrity of the electoral process. The project supported the successful introduction of a new comprehensive biometric voter registration system which resulted in more inclusive and reliable voter rolls and continues to provide assistance in terms of its updating and sustainability. The project also supports the review of the electoral legal framework with a view to promote the strengthening of the Solomon Islands Electoral Commission (SIEC) and assist to the fulfilment of its mandate. It also strengthens the capacity of the SIEC to advocate for women’s political participation and supports the national authorities and civil society organizations in raising awareness of the population regarding voting and civic engagement. SECSIP is generously funded by the European Union, the government of Australia and UNDP.