Solomon Islands loses women productivity worth approximately USD 15.1 million in formal sector in 2021 due to violence, study shows

By Fredrick Kusu in Bangkok, Thailand

A UN Women costing study shows that Solomon Islands has lost approximately USD 15.1 million in the annual productivity of women in the formal sector in 2021.

This accounts for 1 percent of the country’s gross domestic product in 2021.

The report ‘Charting new paths for gender equality and empowerment: Asia Pacific regional report on Beijing +30 review’ was launched on Tuesday at the Ministerial conference on the Beijing +30 review in Bangkok.

It said the burden of violence has imposed an economic toll on the health, social services and justice sectors, and harms society at large by causing a considerable loss of women’s productivity.

“Findings from an UN-Women costing study on violence against women and girls in Solomon Islands reveal that the annual productivity loss of women in the formal sector due to intimate partner violence is approximately 15.1 million United States dollars ($), accounting for almost 1 per cent of the country’s 2021 gross domestic product (GDP).”

The report revealed that 23.6 percent of girls aged 15 years and older are subjected to physical or sexual violence by a current or former intimate partner.

28.1 percent of girls from 15 to 49 years old are subjected to physical or sexual violence by a current or former intimate partner.

Pacific Community Principal Strategic Lead Mereseini Rakuita told the Ministerial conference that gender-based violence remains a challenge for the Pacific to address.

She said 2 out of 3 women in the Pacific suffered some sorts of violence.

“Gender-based violence affects every sector of Pacific countries’ economies.”

Tonga’s Prime Minister Lord Vaea when delivering the statement from the Pacific Islands Forum said pprevention and access to services recognizing emerging concerns such as technology-facilitated gender-based violence is a must when addressing gender-based violence.

Meanwhile the study recommended that eliminating violence against women and girls requires a comprehensive multi-sectoral approach with whole-of-society engagement along the prevention and response continuum.

Efforts by Asia-Pacific Governments to address violence against women and girls include strengthening laws, policies and institutional mechanisms.

The ‘Charting new paths for gender equality and empowerment: Asia Pacific regional report on Beijing +30 review’ has been prepared to inform the Asia-Pacific regional intergovernmental review of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.

It presents key progress, remaining challenges, good practices and lessons learned by member States and stakeholders involved in the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action in Asia and the Pacific.

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This story was produced with the support of the UN Women Fiji Multi-Country Office.