BY LESLEY FOINAGWA
ISLES MEDIA FREELANCE REPORTER IN WEST KWAIO
HAVING an equal opportunity to participate in a higher level of decision-making is a big concern women continue to face today.
This was according to Margaret Wate, a headteacher of Buma primary school in West Kwaio, Malaita Province.
Mrs. Wate said in the past decades, our culture has been the barrier for women to participate in decision-making or take up leadership roles in the community or in our villages.
As such, Mrs. Wate said a Malaitan woman doesn’t have a right to be included in projects being provided community or in our settlement.
“Our voices and rights as women in the society have been overlooked or neglected as far as the Malaitan women are concerned or would respect patrilineal system in that matter which means man is the head of everything in those days”, Mrs. Wate said.
“However, nowadays, we will not stay silent!
“Women have to have a representative in both the provincial and national government,” she said.
Mrs Wate said women should have an equal opportunity to occupy seats in both provincial and national government as Honourable Members rather than a man dominated government.
“It is high time rural women’s voice must be heard and their daily struggle and challenges must be taken care of and addressed. We need strong policy or laws to protect young girls from all types of abuse because they are future leaders,” Mrs. Wate said in the meantime.
