BY ESTHER NURIA
ONE of the prominent women in the country, a keynote speaker to the Women’s International Day Breakfast hosted by Australian High Commissioner last week, in her moving and aspiring speech describes ‘the challenges in life to success is not an easy road.’
Ms Rose Isukana, a Former SIWIBA President, Former Solomon Airlines Board-member and now representative of the Pacific Leadership Programme in Solomon Islands has touched the hearts of many who attend the breakfast through her speech.
“The Economic Empowerment of Women’ has a deeper meaning and a hope for a greater society; this morning while we enjoying our breakfast, someone is preparing her children’s – breakfast and lunches for school, a mother is on her way from the garden with the garden’ crops for breakfast and a stack of firewood on top of her head to cook the food when she arrives home, some are casual in their breakfast preparations, while for some, there is no breakfast because someone cannot afford it, yet for others breakfast and lunch will have to be combined.
“The different choices women are making around meals, speak volume of what they have in their hands and their priorities, and meal is one of the common areas managed by women, a typical example in our country’s text,” said Ms. Isukana.
Ms. Isukana described her journey through life, the struggles she has faced and the battles she has to fight to where she is now today.
“I had to cry with really convincing cries before my parents would say the ok for me to attend Primary. I had to paddle in a dugout canoe to school, three (3) hours each way at that age. One time, I fell asleep, as I was not used to it, I was exhausted doing this; starting early at 4am in the morning to organize for school. A relative who was out on a fishing trip paddle to my canoe and woke me about 7:00am. Then I continued paddling again to school. Many more challenges and weaknesses but I hid them all for fear that I might not be allowed to get my education.
“The childhood journey was tough, a challenging one indeed but it is about goal setting and sheer determination to achieving those goals, for example, a goal to read and write to assist someone who was denied of their education, or being able to speak on behalf of someone who cannot speak for him/herself due to lack of confidence (culture and lack of education), or financially supporting in education where possible. I live it; it is challenging to turn a blind eye, ensuring my younger siblings received their education up to tertiary, now my children, and others more,” she said.
She added that decisions and further pathways taken are the results of being informed and educated.
Ms. Isukana believes that women economic empowerment is central, where women can access economic resources such as land and natural resources, investments, property etc. women getting paid for their labour, mentoring or providing employment to other women. And many more issues the country needs to address for the women of the nation.
She thanked the Democratic Coalition for Changes Government on their policy/vision to attain a meaningful quality of life through economic reforms for all but especially for women.
“Thank you for the freedom and more opportunities, women are ready and will surely give back to their families/ communities with what they earn, this is evident and will continue. It is smart and timely, let’s make it happen, take more actions and to continue to advance Solomon Islands,” she said.
