By Loretta B Manele

Today, very few Solomon Islands women fill in jobs in the country’s infrastructure industry and normalising women in this industry should be the goal.

Namoi Kaluae, SICCI (Solomon Islands Chamber of Commerce and Industry) chairlady spoke about this at the “Women in Infrastructure” breakfast forum last Friday at the Heritage Park Hotel.

She expressed that it is crucial for us to continue to advocate for policies that support women, promote training programmes and create inclusive workplaces.

Kaluae added that empowerment must come from all levels and everyone has a role to play.

“Speaking of empowerment, we also explored whether things are getting easier for women in infrastructure.

Are we at a point where we can normalise women in this field or do we still need to advocate and lobby for more representation?”

Kaluae said she believes that normalisation should indeed be our goal.

She stated that it should be a norm for us to have women working in the infrastructure sector and not just an exemption.

Addressing young women from the infrastructure sector at the forum, Kaluae said their commitment and voice to empower women in the sector is invaluable.

“Let us keep the momentum we’ve built today and carry it forward, advocating for each other, celebrating and most importantly, championing each other’s successes and ensuring that we create a brighter future for generations to come.”

Kaluae noted that they are part of a movement, a collective effort to uplift women in infrastructure and this should now be a legacy.

“There is no limit to what women can do.”

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