BY JOY OFASIA
Members of the Solomon Islands Women in Business Association (SIWIBA) are gaining new skills and regional experience through a leadership and economic development workshop in Honolulu, Hawaii.
The five-day workshop is being held from August 17 to 22 and brings together leaders from Solomon Islands, Samoa and Fiji. It is hosted by the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) in partnership with Stanford University’s Leadership Academy for Development (LAD).
The SIWIBA team includes association members and three additional team members representing Solomon Islands in discussions about infrastructure, economic growth and private-sector investment.
The workshop gives participants practical knowledge about how government policies can support economic development and create better opportunities for businesses.
Through real-life case studies, participants look at challenges faced by governments and explore ways to attract investment while improving public institutions.
Key areas include reducing bureaucracy, providing important public services, attracting investment and strengthening the role of government.
For the Solomon Islands participants, the workshop is also an opportunity to learn from other Pacific countries and share their own experiences.
One important part of the program is the case method. Participants take the role of decision-makers and work together to find solutions to difficult policy problems.
They also take part in study groups where they exchange ideas and experiences from their own countries.
The workshop encourages participants to think about practical solutions that can be used when they return home.
As part of the final assignment, participants will develop a proposed government initiative to address an infrastructure challenge affecting private-sector performance in their country.
The teams will present their recommendations on the final day of the workshop.
The Leadership Academy for Development brings together government officials and business leaders from developing countries to improve leadership, policy-making and reform skills.
For SIWIBA members, the Honolulu workshop is more than a learning opportunity. It provides a chance to build regional networks, understand new approaches and bring useful ideas back to Solomon Islands.
The experience could also help women in business better understand how government decisions and infrastructure development can affect private businesses.
The participants will share their knowledge with others and look for ways to apply what they have learned to support women entrepreneurs and wider economic development in Solomon Islands.
At the end of the program, participants who successfully complete the workshop will receive a certificate jointly issued by CIPE and LAD.
For the SIWIBA team, the workshop is an important step towards strengthening leadership, building connections and helping create better opportunities for women and businesses in Solomon Islands.
