Sistas Savve - Solomon Islands

In the Solomon Islands, 60% of the population is under 24 years old and a large number of young women do not gain an education above primary school. The Solomon Islands has the highest adolescent fertility rate in Melanesia and one of the highest levels of gender-based violence in the world. Empowering women can give them control over their lives, and investment in girls has proven to be of great benefit to wider communities.

Sistas Savve is a project with partner organisations Solomon Islands Planned Parenthood Association (SIPPA) and Solomon Islands Young Women Christian Association (YWCA) based in Honiara, Solomon Islands.

The project aims to address the education disparities experienced by young women in the Solomon Islands by providing them with livelihood skills, business training and other life skills training, as well as sexual and reproductive health and rights education.

It is hoped the training will empower the young women to make decisions which will improve their lives, the lives of their families, and further contribute to their communities.

Sistas Savve was given its name by the young women establishing the programme because it translates from Solomon’s Pigin to English as both ‘Girls know’ and ‘Girls can’ – reflecting the innate knowledge and abilities that young women possess.

Sistas Savve was made possible through funding from the New Zealand Aid Programme and the International Planned Parenthood Federation.

Keep up-to-date on the project's developments by following the Sistas Savve blog:

http://sistassavve.blogspot.com/