In the final days of her election campaign, Cathy Nori considered giving up. The 57-year-old had been trekking up a mountain, near her home in Isabel province, Solomon Islands, when she was overcome with exhaustion.
“I couldn’t help but question my purpose, silently asking … why I was enduring such hardship,” Nori says in an interview with the Guardian.
Yet in that moment, the former businesswoman summoned her strength and sought comfort from her team.
“It was a pivotal moment, a fleeting temptation to surrender that I chose to overcome. It’s the first-hand experience of rural struggles that fuels my determination,” Nori says.
Nori turned to politics about a decade ago and, after two failed election bids, will this year join Solomon Islands’ parliament for the first time. She will represent part of Isabel province, which has a population of about 35,000 people and is beset by problems including poor roads and a lack of infrastructure.
She is one of just three women elected to the Pacific country’s 50-seat parliament in last month’s national election. Nori will be joined by Freda Rangirei Tuki, representing Temotu-Vatud in Temotu province, and Choilyn Yim Douglas for the Ngella constituency, Central Islands province.
Nori says that after a decades-long career in transport, shipping and logistics, she aspired to enter politics. She worked in senior management and was also the president of the Solomon Islands Women in Maritime association, where she pushed for greater gender equality in the industry.
“I proved that I was capable of performing tasks traditionally assigned to men,” Nori says.
Dismantling barriers
Since independence in 1978, few women have been elected to Solomon Islands’ national government. Only 6% of candidates in last month’s election were female, according to the country’s electoral commission.
Solomon Islands Women Rights Action Movement says the underrepresentation of women in politics is due to a range of factors including cultural beliefs that the role of women should be limited to the home, religious norms and a lack of education.
Nori entered the election as an underdog and says her victory marks a shift toward dismantling barriers in the Pacific country in terms of women’s roles.
She says she faced many challenges, including to “convince both men and women that I was capable of achieving tasks traditionally associated with men”.
“In Isabel province, the cultural norm places women primarily in the kitchen within the household. One of my greatest challenges was demonstrating to both men and women that I could rise above these expectations,” Nori says.
‘When will action be taken?’
Solomon Islands has a population of about 700,000 people spread across many islands. It is one of the poorest countries in the Pacific and relies on development aid from countries including Australia and China for support.
Nori said she was motivated to enter politics after witnessing the challenges rural communities face, notably a lack of essential services.
She says the difficulty faced in sourcing copra, the white flesh of coconuts, to sell is one common challenge. According to a former premier of Isabel province, Rodah Sikalabu, in Nori’s electorate more than half the population is involved in copra production. It is labour-intensive – farmers pick the fruit, extract and dry the white flesh and pack it into bags for transport – a process that can take weeks. Farmers must then travel to sell their product, but many villages are located in remote areas and roads connecting them to bigger towns are poor and often dangerous.
“People endure arduous journeys from mountainous terrains to coastal areas. This plight has plagued Isabel province for decades,” Nori says.
“When will action be taken? This energy propelled me into parliament, fuelled by hope that change is achievable.”
Now, she hopes to improve life for those in the province, which includes “developing basic infrastructure, particularly roads around the island”. Nori also wants to review the “unregulated exploitation of our natural resources” on the island and provide more opportunities to earn a living.
“I’ve supported numerous children by covering their school fees, particularly those without paternal support. If there were opportunities for them to generate income sustainably, they wouldn’t need my assistance,” she says.
Nori says despite the difficulties, she hopes more women in Solomon Islands will pursue a career in politics.
“It’s particularly challenging for us women to demonstrate our capabilities and become the voices of our people.
“I used to tell women and students: ‘You are leaders in your own right, in your own space.’ Just be authentic. It’s about embracing your strength and pursuing your vision,” Nori says.
