The YWCA and Sistas Savve women have a strong presence at the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) Shadow Report Workshop being held this week. Several staff members and volunteers from both YWCA and Sistas Savve attended the first day of a four day workshop today, in which several women-focused NGOs will collaborate on the writing of the CEDAW Shadow Report.

The Shadow Report is written by Solomon Islands NGOs to complement and critique the state report, which is written by the Solomon Islands government. Both reports are designed to comment on Solomon Islands' progress towards achieving the aims of the Convention. The Solomon Islands government signed the CEDAW treaty in 2002, but is yet to submit a report to the CEDAW Committee. The issues highlighted in the Shadow Report will give a voice to the women in the Solomon Islands in the absence of the state report.

The first day of the workshop taught an overview of human rights and the main articles of the CEDAW convention. CEDAW’s main objective is to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women, meaning women must enjoy all human rights guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 16 CEDAW articles encompass the ways in which women are denied equality with men globally, including the right to vote and be involved in politics, the right to live free of harmful gender stereotypes and violence, and the right to equal access to health-care, education, and employment.

As in all countries, there are some obstacles stopping Solomon Islands’ women from realising these rights and achieving equality with male Solomon Islanders. Over the next three days, the YWCA and Sistas Savve women will use their experience to contribute to an analysis of the education, health, employment and cultural issues that affect women gaining equality in the Solomon Islands.

You can find out more information about CEDAW on the website of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cedaw/index.htm

 Twenty pairs of eyes stare expectantly at me across tiny conference room and I mentally reassure myself that I can do it. Shae, my Australian volunteer counterpart, and I have been preparing for this Peer Educators’ workshop for over four months now and finally all the young women are here in Honiara.

On October 23^rd, the YWCA Solomon Islands and Christian Care Centre (CCC) marked the global YWCA Week Without Violence by carrying out a carwash in Honiara and raising over $9000 for the CCC: the only domestic violence safe house in the Solomon Islands.

Halo, my name is Shae and I’m a new volunteer with the YWCA Solomon Islands, Honiara. I’ve been working here now for 6 weeks and I’m loving it. My job is to coordinate the ‘Rise Up!’ Young Women’s Leadership Program and its exciting transition to a Peer Education program. But more about that later...