The Solomon Islands is facing a crisis of gender-based violence, ranking among the highest in the Pacific region for violence against women, Permanent Secretary for Women, Youth, Children and Family Affairs, Cedrik Alependava said.
The issue, he said, exacerbated by the rise of cybercrime, has led to tragic consequences including the alleged suicides of three young people in his country.
At the 15th Triennial Conference of Pacific Women in Majuro, Marshall Islands, Alependava emphasised the need for a multi-faceted approach to combat technology facilitated gender based violence, which was a topic of discussion at the event.
While acknowledging the importance of education and legislation, he said the family unit was the most critical tool in preventing violence and promoting respect.
Alependava said Melanesian countries ranked the highest in the Pacific in terms of gender-based violence and needed to work hard to reduce the statistics, with the increase in technology based gender based violence.
Solomon Islands, which has a Family Protection Act and a Child and Welfare Act, has seen an increase in reporting of sexual harassment by girls.
Alependava said 90 percent of the region are Christians and parents were moving away from teaching their children Biblical principles.
“The first and the foremost important tool that we should be using is training within the family,” he said.
In Solomon Islands, the government is actively partnering with churches to provide biblical training and moral guidance to families, recognising the role of faith in shaping values and behavior.
Additionally, he said, school curricular should teach respect, and address cyberbullying and cybercrime.
Alependeva said his country was in the process of introducing a bill on cybercrime, which could also address cyberbullying.
He also highlighted the importance of empowering women in leadership roles, citing the success of Rwanda, where women constitute 60 percent of parliamentarians and is doing well economically.