Public Perceptions of Women as Political Leaders in Solomon Islands

The purpose of the Public Perceptions of Women as Political Leaders project, led by the Women’s Rights Action Movement (WRAM) and supported by International Women’s Development Agency (IWDA), was to deepen understanding of (a) public perceptions of the qualities of and qualifications for political leadership and (b) gender norms associated with these perceptions.

The intention of the research was to generate findings that would assist advocates for gender equality to support the meaningful participation of women as leaders. WRAM adopted a specific focus on public perceptions of temporary special measures (TSM), to meet the need for more research in this space given the ongoing debate on introducing TSM at the provincial level in Solomon Islands.

This report was co-written by Camilla Batalibasi, Lucian Bero, Pionie Boso, Anika Kingmele, Ruth Maetala, Donna Makini and Freda Wickham – WRAM staff, researchers, current and past Board members; Dr Kerryn Baker – Research Advisor; Stella Mulder – Research Manager, IWDA; Genevieve Walker – Program Manager, Solomon Islands, IWDA. The report is a joint publication between IWDA and WRAM.