CONTENT

1. Matrilineal Land Study in SI Gender and Land Study 2. Geography 3. Why matrilineal land research? 4. Research Methodology Sustainable Land Management Workshop 5. Women in SI context 4 October 2007, Tanoa Hotel, Nadi- 6. Matrilineal land tenure principles 7. Gender and land Issues 8. Positive steps taken by SIG 9. Recommendations

Ruth Maetala 10. Conclusion Independent Consultant (Gender) Women in Development Ministry for Women, Youth & Children Affairs, SI

Matrilineal Land Tenure in SI Geography Research

• It is part of an independent research initiative into matrilineal land in three Pacific countries: Vanuatu, Marshall Islands and SI.

• Partners in the Research was the Forum Secretariat, SPC, USP and the Women’s Development Division of the MWYCA.

• Time frame: Nov. 2006 – Oct. 2007 (taking delays into consideration).

• In each country a national researcher is employed to work under the regional supervisor based in Suva. In SI I was tasked to carry out this research.

• The SI case study was focused on selected islands of Guadalcanal, and Isabel.

Why Matrilineal Land Research Research Methodology

The study is a stock take of matrilineal land tenure in selected areas which sought to better understand the following: • Qualitative and Quantitative Research

• Land tenure principles and practices in Guadalcanal, Makira and Isabel. Methods including data collection through • Past and present gender roles of women with respect to land tenure and workshop [involving the Guadalcanal access to land and its impact on the participation of women in wider decision making in local communities and at the national level. Provincial Assembly members and women • Changes in attitudes and policies with respect to land tenure, access to land and land management and the role of women therein and the impact on leaders], Provincial consultations with Isabel gender relations. and Makira provincial assembly members, • Past and current legislation with respect to land tenure and management and its impact on women’s access to land and their role in decision making village and community meetings and at all levels. consultation (Community Engagements), desk • The relationship between land tenure, access to land and land management and women’s contemporary political representation and role in governance. review and personal interviews. • The role of gender in contemporary land management and the potential for conflict.

1 Women in SI Context Land Tenure Principles

ALIENATED LAND CUSTOMARY LAND • 1999 census- women make up 48% of SI total population • Individually or communally • Communally owned • Since Independence- only 1 woman was in parliament. Presently there are no women in parliament. owned • Matrilineal or Patrilineal • SI amongst 10 countries in the world with no women in parliament. • According to the Lands & • Communal (incl. tribes, clans, • 3 women in provincial government. Titles Act 1969- Registrar of lines) decision making. • 4 women permanent secretaries. Titles has the power to make • Matrilineal land-inheritance by • Make up 16% of the Private sector. decisions re: all alienated land and through women. • Women in SI play both feminine and masculine roles in the family context. • Land acquisition – must be • Patrilineal land- inheritance by • 2 women in Council of chiefs. legal through the Ministry of and through the male line. • 23% of total workforce. Lands land acquisition • Very low literacy rate-one of the lowest in the world. process. • Land Acquisition-through tribes or land owning group • Inherit and own land • Land use- individually • Almost half the rural population are women managed • Land use management- • Women make 1/3 of the informal sector. communal

Issues cont… GENDER & LAND ISSUES Issues cont… • Lack of proper consultation • Competition for space put pressure on the Ministry of lands with communities. to accommodate the needs of COMMUNITY LEVEL INSTITUTIONAL LEVEL semi urban areas like , • Loss of knowledge National KiraKira & Buala (areas of • Women know very little about land related • Conflicts at the village level- research) • Inter marriages legislation and regulation affecting families causing • Large Scale Developments- need • Family & Tribal issues • No legislation or policies specifically address breakdowns eg. Youths are proper assessments and women’s land rights-in fact there is aware of their land rights community engagement at the inconsistencies in the SI constitution. • Lack or little participation of women in through their mothers, royalties initial stages. decision making- 1 woman in ICC (1/23) & in GCC (only one woman) • Women are not aware of the Government are not translating into benefits Provincial National Women’s Policy for women and their children. • No women in Provincial • Strong pressures on land for purposes of governments- Only two women in development, housing, relocation of villages • Govt to deal with multi cultural environment Youths create conflicts for Isabel and 1 in Rennel Belona and raising of cash for livelihoods. created by inter marriages considering its impact on land. large developments like Gold Province. Ridge mines thus resulting in • Lack of awareness on women’s land rights • Land and Timber hearings are • Relocation of peoples due to natural the rise of social frictions. attended by Provincial members- disasters like the recent Tsunami of April 3 women are not aware of the legal • Many of the large scale developments or development relocation of villages such promote a disregard for matrilineal principles as the Gold Ridge relocation village. processes involved although they and practices – Eg. Vella la Vella case. may be land owners. • Donor driven programs-changes the • Women have no policy or legal attitudes and behaviors of men & women capacity to deal with conflicts at towards women in relation to project design, development & implementation. company levels.

POSITIVE STEPS TAKEN BY SIG RECOMMENDATION 1 • 1978- incorporated the Universal Declaration for Human Rights 1948 into its Bill of Rights which supports equality of all citizens and recognizes the ‘worthy customs’ of all SI citizens. Convinced that SIG is encouraged to design and • 1989- Act of Parliament to establish the SI National Council of develop a national strategy for increasing Women- a voice for women. • 1998- SI National Women’s Policy women’s participation in leadership roles in both • 1999- WDD review of the SI Women’s Machinery matrilineal and patrilineal societies at the • 2002- ratification of UNCEDAW & Optional Protocol. • 2007-Re-establishment of the Min for Women. Youth and Children’s community, church, Council of Chiefs, provincial Affairs. and national levels to advance the status of • 2007- GCCG policy statement for Women, Youth & Children Affairs. • 2007- National recurrent budget includes establishment of three women providing equal and non discriminatory gender positions within the Ministry for Planning and Aid opportunities for both men and women through Coordination, Women in Development Division and the Public Service. specific training and moral support for women. • 2007- National Budget includes the establishment for a Gender research unit within the Min for WYCA.

2 RECOMMENDATION 2 RECOMMENDATION 3

Recognizing the positive steps taken by SIG and its key stakeholders including regional agencies to advance the status of women in SI. Ensuring that the SIG maximize its Proposing that SIG take measures to increase its stakeholder engagement at all levels gender policy and legal capacity to review through existing structures both at the inconsistencies in the Lands and Titles Act 1969 organizational and community levels to [CAP III Green Volume], chapter two of the SI Constitution 1978, the SI National Women’s accommodate and implement practical policy 1998 and the GCCG policy statement for ways of passing down knowledge and women, youth and children to accommodate indigenous knowledge management for land rights of women in matrilineal societies in SI. youths.

RECOMMENDATION 4 RECOMMENDATION 5

Considering that any national or local attempt to mainstream gender should Realizing the pressures of natural and man accommodate the needs and interests of made disasters on land tenure systems has men, women, youth and children, boys increased at a rapid rate. and girls by actively engaging whole Recommending that traditional good practices of communities from the design stage to the sustainable land management, conflict mediation and reconciliation should be implementation of national or local integrated into the rebuilding & rehabilitation initiatives promoting environment and process in Solomon Islands. sustainable land management.

RECOMMENDATION 6 CONCLUSION

Ensuring that programs designed and developed by investors for the community should take into consideration both the traditional and contemporary roles of women and men thereby promoting gender equity. “[You] women in Makira do not need to fight for [your] land. Only the men fight but you should be glad to know that Proposing that to minimizing conflict or potential conflict with respect to land tenure and management, a multi-sector public awareness and training land belongs to you.” (Man, Makira, April 2007).” should focus on: • . resource benefit management and the rights of beneficiaries, • . the roles of trustees and signatories, “Women were highly respected within their families, tribes • . a code of conduct for men and women as community leaders and communities in the past but now, because of the • . the conduct of land and timber rights hearings including specific introduction of cash economy and its effects on natural protocols of these processes, and, general leadership training for women. resources development, more men are involved in Proposing that this should be pursued through the current leadership programs decision making with respect to land. This has affected conducted by Government and its key stakeholders. the attitude and behaviour of men with some making decisions without consulting the women.”

3 So, what exactly is Sustainable CONCLUSION Cont. Land Management? “One good example is North Vella (Kibiri logging camp) where an incident happened between blood cousins. My relatives were in From an anthropological point of view, it is the conflict and burnt down houses, killed domestic animals and are recognition that women and men play an integral part of enemies until now. They have not sorted out the feud between our existence and having that common respect for our family members. Tensions still exist and although compensations were made to the host family nothing changed. Now gardening land environment. It is also reclaiming our good traditional is no longer accessible, the land is spoilt and cannot be restored laws, customs and practices to balance the quest for to original form.” (Woman, Vella la Vella, Feb 12, 2007) development and modernization, recognizing that in the past decisions were made in the best interest of tribes “Development to us is not water supply. We do not need running water and communities. Land was communally owned and to stay alive. When donors build our standpipes we cannot go to the everyone had the right of access even if only some had river and wash and swim there. There is no privacy for women in the land ownership rights. There was a common village. Donors forget that going to the river is our only time to understanding: ‘sakai mono, sikei ghada’, which in the socialize.” (Personal Interview, Tausese, March 13, 2007) Bugotu language means ‘living together and sharing.”

Tenk Iu Tumas!

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