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Audio: Dyer on Women in Parliament in the Solomons
Scoop Audio: Sarah Dyer on Women in
Parliament in the Solomon
Islands
Interview by Yasmine Ryan
Image by Jason Dorday
From Assignment in Honiara
Scoop
Audio: Former President of the Solomon Island’s National
Women’s Council and a well-known public figure, Sarah Dyer
contested the West Honiara seat in the election held three
weeks ago. Although 26 women stood for Parliament in this
election, not one was successful. Dyer was one of the
closest, coming second out of nine candidates.
In this interview, she discusses why voters are so reluctant to elect women to Parliament. Are quotas the key to getting women in? Through the National Women’s Council, Dyer is involved in efforts to education the public about the political process. Dyer also believes that the election was not as ‘Free and Fair’ as it was hailed. While on the surface the election ran smoothly, she describes the vote buying that went on behind the scenes and several irregularities. In the Solomons, she says, the eve of an election is sometimes known as the ‘Devil’s Night’.
Scoop Streaming Audio: Sarah Dyer on Women in
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