Honiara – The International Organization for Migration (IOM), the European Union (EU), the National Council of Women and the Ministry of Women, Youth, Children and Family Affairs, yesterday launched a new project to combat human trafficking and gender-based violence in Solomon Islands.

Many Communities across the Solomon Islands are living close to extractive industries, such as logging, fishing and mining, and experience higher risk and vulnerability to human trafficking and gender-based violence.

Funded by the European Union and implemented by IOM, the project “Strengthening the Capacity of Civil Society Organisations in Solomon Islands to Prevent Trafficking in Persons and Gender-Based Violence and to Protect Survivors will support national efforts to strengthen the prevention of human trafficking and gender-based violence. Notably, the project will also help in the implementation the Solomon Islands Government’s National Action Plan against Human Trafficking and People Smuggling (2020-2025).

The project will work with national and local partners to achieve three key outcome areas, including strengthening capacities of civil society to provide preventative and protective services to women and girls. It will also aim to increase awareness of and advocacy on human trafficking and gender-based violence in communities, and enhancing crisis-response services to survivors.

The launch of the programme in Honiara was attended by the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Women, Youth, Children and Family Affairs, Dr Cedric Alependava, the European Union Ambassador to Solomon Islands, Ambassador Sujiro Seam, the President of the National Council of Women, Ella Kauhue and IOM Programme Manager, Nathalie Hanley, as well as actors working to prevent human trafficking.

“The risks of trafficking and gender-based violence disproportionately affect women and girls, who may lack information on their rights and access to government and civil society support services, said Hanley. “IOM is proud to work in partnership with the EU, the National Council of Women and the Solomon Islands Government to prevent gender-based violence and human trafficking, and to enhance access to protection services,” Hanley added.

IOM will implement the project in close collaboration with the Anti-Human Trafficking Advisory Committee and in partnership with the National Council of Women and the Guadalcanal, Makira and Malaita Provincial Councils of Women. The Councils will work with communities to strength community level awareness on human trafficking and gender-based violence as well as increase access for survivors to first responder services.

In a speech delivered at the launch, Ambassador Seam said “Human trafficking carries with it enormous human, social and economic costs. The European Union stands in solidarity with the most vulnerable populations and is committed to support actions that strengthen capacities of those working in prevention and protection to help address the needs of local communities in the Solomon Islands.” The Permanent Secretary, Dr. Cedric Alependava said, “There is a strong connection between gender inequality, gender-based violence and human trafficking. By working together in partnership we must address these connections. By doing so, we will be contributing substantially to improve the wellbeing of women, men, girls and boys, which will undoubtedly contribute towards our nation’s development. I look forward to working with the EU, IOM and the National and Provincial Council of Women to achieve this.”

The 4.5M SBD (550,000 Euro) project will run for two years (2022-2024), in Guadalcanal, Makira-Ulawa and Malaita Provinces.

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For more information, please contact: Stephen Liston, Email: sliston@iom.int