Publication: Enhancing the Economic Participation of Vulnerable Young Women in Solomon Islands
Date
2019-11-01
ISSN
Published
2019-11-01
Author(s)
World Bank Group
Abstract
The aim of this study was to identify
the constraints to, and effective measures for, increasing
the economic participation of vulnerable young women in
urban and peri-urban areas of Solomon Islands, in
conjunction with the Community Access and Urban Services
Enhancement (CAUSE) project. The study was funded by the
East Asia and Pacific Umbrella Facility for Gender Equality
of the World Bank. The findings serve three purposes: (i)
inform ongoing policy discussions with the Honiara City
Council (HCC) and the Ministry for Infrastructure
Development (MID) on increasing young women's access to
and participation in economic activities; (ii) inform the
CAUSE project which is a World Bank financed project
implemented by the HCC and MID, in coordination with the
Guadalcanal, Malaita and Western Provincial Governments; and
(iii) bring attention to and aid discussions with
development partners supporting gender activities in Solomon
Islands and the Pacific region, more generally. The report
will also be publicly disseminated to foster a discussion
about women's access to jobs. The study was framed
within three key barriers to young women's economic
participation: Knowledge and Skills, Resources, and Gender
Roles. These were consistent with the three main gender
outcomes highlighted in Towards Gender Equality and
Prosperity: A Companion to the World Development Report
(2012), i.e. endowments, economic opportunity, and agency.
Decision-Making, although recognized as a participation
barrier in the literature review, was not included, as
influencing women's participation in policy, local
governance, and planning processes would be beyond the scope
of the CAUSE project and this study. Research areas which
tackle barriers to both women's 'presence'
(immediate engagement) and 'empowerment' (actions
to effect social or behavioral change of women) in the
economy were prioritized. The focus was also on research
areas linked to interventions that could be enacted during
the CAUSE project and lay the foundation for more
sustainable and transformative change. Accordingly, the
study was framed around three key questions: (i) What are
the skills gaps among young women and how can these be
addressed, including through training activities under the
CAUSE project?; (ii) What challenges do young women face in
accessing financial resources and what can be done to help
build start-up capital?; and (iii) What gender related
barriers do young women face in participating in training
and work activities and what measures can be applied?
Link to Data Set
Citation
“World Bank Group. 2019. Enhancing the Economic Participation of Vulnerable Young Women in Solomon Islands. © World Bank, Washington, DC. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/32763 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”