The Senior Executive Women in Leadership Program is giving emerging women leaders in Solomon Islands confidence and relevant knowledge and skills required to enable them to effectively participate in the decision-making process at higher organizational levels.

“This program has enhanced our knowledge and skills to effectively participate in our various organizations,” Ms Jenny Lobo, Marketing Supervisor at Solomon Airlines said. “Especially in higher levels of the decision-making process and leadership in the day to day of business operation.”

Ms Lobo was among the latest cohort of nine professional Solomon Islands women who have undergone the Senior Executive Women in Leadership Program in 2024.

The program is designed for women in executive and senior management roles who want to deepen their knowledge of business operations, develop strong networks with other senior women, build confidence in areas including governance and refresh their professional brand.

Ms Lobo said the program provided them with the opportunity and platform to refine, sharpen and strengthen their leadership capacity and capabilities.

The training is also aimed at providing participants with relevant knowledge and skills in key areas that are important as a starting basis to support them in building their overall leadership skills.

Ms Lindy Au, Financial & Operations Accountant at Solomon Telekom, said they are privileged to have joined this latest cohort of participants of this year’s delivery of the program.

“One of the important components of the program were on work ethics which is an eye opener for most of us and something that has the potential to bring out the best out of ourselves as women leaders, not only in our respective organizations but also in our social affiliations,” she said.

With the knowledge gained from the four days of training, participants are expected to gain an overall picture of leadership in higher-decision positions which they can build on.

Ms Camari Bainivalu, Capacity Development and Training Coordinator at the Australia funded Solomon Islands Infrastructure Program (SIIP) believes this training equips women to be leaders in any organisation they work for.

“I found the training to be empowering and informative in terms of providing a broad overview of the areas of leadership, organisational management and networking support that would enable me to be an effective female leader in any organisation or institution.

“I highly recommend other women to take up this course for their professional development,” she said.

Lead Facilitator of the Senior Executive Women in Leadership Program since it started in 2023, Mrs Pauline Soaki said this training gives the women more confidence in how they navigate different styles of leadership and the culture within the workplace and confidence in different spaces.

“It also horns some of their skills and be able to understand financial reports as not everyone has a background in finance,” she said.

“We understand that not many women have the support system like mentors to help them, so sometimes in their jobs they feel challenged. That is why its important to be part of a network to find that support,” Ms Soaki added.

Since the Senior Executive Women in Leadership Program started in 2023 a total of 65 women leaders have participated in the program who are now in leadership roles in their respective organisations including the ten from the current cohort.

The Senior Executive Women in Leadership Program is delivered through a partnership between the Institute of Solomon Islands Accountants (ISIA), the Solomon Islands Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI) and the Solomon Islands Women in Business Association (SIWIBA).

It is the intention of the Partner Organisations to continue to further strengthen their collaboration to support the advancement of women leaders in the higher decision-making positions.

In her remarks at the official closing of the training, the ISIA CEO, Ms. Pamela Alamu congratulated the training participants, “On behalf of the Partner Organisations, I would like to congratulate all of you for successfully completing this program. We are looking forward to hearing from you on your experiences of this training and how you will be progressing your professional careers after today.

To continue with supporting professional women progress their careers into high decision-making positions, the Partner Organisations, will continue to collaborate to create opportunities to advance women’s leadership capabilities and confidence. It is our intention to look at further initiatives to strengthen and support women progress further in leadership roles.”

SICCI congratulates the graduates and at the same time acknowledged ISIA for leading the implementation of the training program.

SICCI is optimistic that such programs are vital for fostering diversity and inclusion at the highest levels of corporate leadership.

“Investing in women’s executive leadership training is not only a matter of fairness but also a strategic business imperative.

“The training program is paramount as it equips women with the necessary skills, confidence, and networks to lead effectively, driving innovation and improving decision-making processes within organizations,” added the CEO for SICCI, Mr. James Dolarii.

Ms. Rachel Rahii, CEO of SIWIBA, emphasized the importance of the program: "Empowering women with the skills and confidence to lead is critical for the growth of our businesses and organizations. This program is a testament to our commitment to fostering strong women leaders who will drive positive change in our nation."