Youth-Inclusive Development: Challenges and Potential in Solomon Islands

Political discourse and parliament in Solomon Islands are dominated by older men, making it easy to forget that this cohort of influential people are, in fact, the minority of the population. With seven in 10 Solomon Islanders under age 34 (UNDP 2018:6), Solomon Islands’ youth population is particularly visible on the streets of Honiara, where large groups of youth can be seen in public spaces and at events. There are, however, few youths in positions of influence or formal decision-making structures in Solomon Islands. Youths are rarely seen in politics and government, and are less likely to be employed (Solomon Islands National Statistical Office 2014:75). This In Brief examines present exclusion of youths from decision-making and highlights where change is emerging and policy support could be most effective

Markets Matter: ANU-UN Women Project on Honiara's Informal Markets in Solomon Islands

AusAI

Markets Matter: Market Vendor Views on Security and Social Inclusion in Honiara, Solomon Islands

This In Brief examines governance and security issues in three of Honiara’s community markets at Henderson, Fishing Village and White River. They are located on roadsides and unregulated by authorities, in contrast to the Honiara Central Market (HCM) which is housed in a market building and run by the Honiara City Council. This is the third In Brief in the Markets matter series that provide short overviews of key findings from a research project on the socio-economic value, opportunities and challenges facing community markets.AusAI

Markets Matter: Enhancing Livelihoods and Localities

AusAI

Research legitimacy as a precursor to effectiveness: the role of equitable partnerships in transforming aquatic food systems

Competing interests in aquatic food systems pose challenges for small-scale food producers trying to secure their place in the blue economy. These challenges include development aspirations, pressure from conservation interests, climate and environmental change, and blue growth agendas. Research-for-development can contribute to improving outcomes for small-scale actors in aquatic food systems in the face of uneven development, but the legitimacy and effectiveness of research have been found difficult to operationalize. An “engineering mindset” that prioritizes technical innovations, academic definitions of research excellence, unequal research collaborations, and funding constraints currently inhibit conducting strategic and transformative research. Taking ownership, equity, shared analysis, and feedback as key principles for research-in-development can assist in moving from transfer of technology to recognizing and working within the specific political and institutional contexts of aquatic food systems

What can the experiences of rural women in Solomon Islands teach us about innovation in aquatic food systems?

In Solomon Islands, women's groups play an important role in promoting socially inclusive development and women's empowerment. In this paper, we summarise the experiences of a 5-year participatory action research partnership to enhance rural livelihood activities based on aquatic foods. The women's savings groups that participated in this research identified solar-powered freezers as an innovation suitable to their skills and environment. The 12 freezers we used in our partnership to pilot this innovation had tangible benefits. More than 700 unique users accessed the freezers, 3900 kg of fish was stored and over USD6,000 was saved in total; however, accumulation of savings varied greatly between groups. The women's groups demonstrated that operating solar-powered freezers can be financially viable, and the innovation integrated well with their livelihood activities. This conclusion provides an alternative to dominant development narratives, which tend to focus on building large-scale infrastructure, and often exclude women. Existing marketing skills and cooperation were strengths on which the women built. Poor-quality technology was the biggest impediment to success. Solving this basic problem should be a priority for any future cold-storage initiative

The importance of indigenous freshwater foods for rural women in Guadalcanal Province, Solomon Islands

Documents rural womens cooking practices and livelihoods focusing on lesser known aquatic foods. The article summarizes recipies used in a cooking competition among rural women and uses that as a platform for describing contemporary healthy and sustainable aquatic food systems

Island food systems in transition: Strengthening Indigenous food systems in Solomon Islands

This brief defines a vision for an island food system centered on rural food system actors and Indigenous foods. It provides the foundation for a new partnership program between the Kastom Gaden Association and WorldFish in Solomon Islands. This partnership will work towards implementing the island food systems vision

Nourishing island food systems in Solomon Islands: Operational Plan 2023

The WorldFish program in Solomon Islands is organized around four main research pathways (see figure). The first three are the agreed-upon impact areas of WorldFish, which aligns toward our adopted goal from the Solomon Islands National Fisheries Policy 2019–2029 of the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources (MFMR). The fourth research pathway places a deliberate emphasis on integrated planning and partnerships. Although WorldFish in Solomon Islands has many partners, we particularly integrate our research with MFMR to support national strategies toward its policy goal