Rashida Manjoo, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women, urged the federal government of the Solomon Islands to work harder to protect women from violence during her visit this month. Ms. Manjoo highlighted the staggering statistics of domestic violence (64% of women 15 to 49 have experienced physical or sexual violence in a relationship) and abuse of girls and women by employers in remote villages. While she acknowledged that the nation, comprised of almost one thousand islands, faces infrastructure obstacles, she said that there is no excuse for the complete lack of specific criminal legislation on issues of violence against women, such as marital rape. Finally, she noted that the UN-supported Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s pending report will have a chapter specifically addressing issues of women and violence, saying, “I encourage the Government to thoroughly and publically discuss the Commission’s findings and recommendations especially with women’s groups and organizations.”
Complied from: Solomon Islands Must Act To End Violence against Women, UN Rights Expert Says, UN News Centre (19 March 2012).