Young women “rise up” in the Solomon Islands
Established in the 1970s, the YWCA of the Solomon Islands assists women to become leaders of change by fully using their potential and living fulfilled lives. The association offers programmes addressing issues such as leadership, human rights and sexual and reproductive health rights.
One such programme is the YWCA of the Solomon Islands’ new Rise Up! Leadership Programme . From June 29 – July 2, 2010, 19 emerging young women leaders were given the opportunity to complete the first of many such workshops to be run on a regular basis by the association, with the aim of building the capacity of young Solomon Islands women to create positive social change in their communities. The workshops integrate a variety of creative and innovative teaching methods, including drama, art, video, guest speakers and games.
With over 50 applications received, participants were chosen through a competitive selection process. The standard of the applicants was impressive, with many of the young women demonstrating a clear vision for creating healthy and safe communities.
On the first day of the training, the young women learnt about the history of human rights and the development of women’s rights legislation, including the Convention for the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). On the second day, participants discussed how gender expectations influenced women’s choices and opportunities. They also learnt public speaking tips and participated in individual or group public speaking exercises. On Day three, the young women discussed the qualities of good leaders, and had the opportunity to discover their own unique leadership style. Three prominent women also shared their personal experiences of leadership with the group. The final day of the workshop focused on strategies for turning knowledge into action and creating positive change in the participants own lives and communities.
The workshop was received positively by the young participants. One young woman stated: “this workshop has taught me a lot about leadership and I have learnt skills that will help me achieve my future goals”.
The Solomon Islands YWCA plans to run another Rise Up! workshop in Honiara in the coming months and hopes to expand the programme to provincial areas in the near future.
