Opposition Leader Matthew Wale slams government inaction over logging impacts on women and girls in Solomon Islands.
OPPOSITION Leader Matthew Wale says government’s negligence on the impact of logging activities on women and girls in Solomon Islands is very ‘disturbing’.
Wale in a statement said the findings raised through the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process in the media is ‘worrying’ and needs immediate government action.
“For years, communities have raised alarm about the social consequences of large-scale logging operations. Allegations of coerced ‘log marriages,’ rising teenage pregnancies, increased domestic violence, and exploitation of vulnerable young women are not new issues,” the Opposition Leader said.
He said what is deeply troubling is the continued lack of decisive government action.
Wale said one in five girls reportedly married before the age of 18 is not just a statistic, it is a national failure.
“The growing presence of foreign logging workers in rural communities has created social pressures that many villages are ill-equipped to manage,” he said.
The Opposition Leader said increased alcohol consumption and weak enforcement of labour and immigration regulations have further worsened the situation.
Wale has questioned the government as to what concrete steps the Government has taken to regulate social impacts of logging operations in the country.
“What monitoring mechanisms are in place to prevent exploitation of young women and girls? Why are protection services still heavily reliant on churches with minimal state funding? Where is the national strategy linking natural resource extraction to social safeguards?” he questioned.
The Opposition Leader said it is unacceptable that support services for victims of abuse remain limited and largely centralised in urban areas.
Wale said rural women and girls that are mostly affected by logging activities continue to have little access to safe shelters, counselling, and medical support.
He adds beyond the social impacts, environmental degradation caused by unsustainable logging practices has increased risks for women who are often mostly responsible for collecting food and water, and logging has contributed to flash floods that disrupt children’s education.
“Yet environmental enforcement remains weak,” the Opposition Leader said.
He said natural resources must benefit our people and not harm them.
“Economic development cannot come at the cost of our daughters’ safety and dignity. The time for excuses has passed. The Government must demonstrate leadership and accountability on this long-neglected issue,” Wale said.
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE LEADER OF OPPOSITION PRESS RELEASE
