𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗕𝗔𝗥𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗥𝗦: Two Solomon Islands Young Women Redefine Construction

In a groundbreaking move for gender equality and youth empowerment in Solomon Islands, two young women, Edith Asa and Nanny Walasi, have confidently stepped into the male-dominated world of construction.

As proud graduates of Solomon Islands’ first women-only Green Construction Training Program, the duo now applies their skills to the Australian-supported Buala Market Project, a climate-resilient, high-impact infrastructure development in Isabel Province.

This initiative does more than create a job site—it symbolises changing times. It highlights not only the importance of empowering women in trades, but also the need to create opportunities for young people across the Solomon Islands to learn, grow, and lead.

Edith now works as Health and Safety Advisor with Tropic Group Builders Ltd. For her, stepping into a male-dominated industry never involved making a statement — it involved rising to the occasion, just like she always has.

“Being the eldest in my family often meant taking on responsibilities expected to be done by boys,” she reflects. “That experience has shaped me into someone who doesn’t shy away from hard work.”

Her colleague, Nanny, feels equally passionate. With a hands-on attitude and eyes set on constant growth, she has become comfortable working with compact machines, circular saws, drop saws, and more.

“The machines I’m most comfortable with now are compact machines, circular saws, drop saws, and cut-off saws, but I want to improve in everything,” Nanny says. “I want to finish what I’ve started and then learn more.”

Their journey inspires the next generation of Solomon Islanders, especially young women, showing that trade skills can open doors to economic independence and leadership.

Over the past five years, nearly 10,000 Solomon Islanders—many of them youth—have gained employment on Australian-supported infrastructure projects. These opportunities are laying the foundation for a skilled local workforce ready to take on national development.

Flory Age Anilafa, Project Coordinator at Tropic Group Builders Ltd, couldn’t feel prouder.

“It’s great to see more women in construction. “Women like Edith and Nanny are changing perceptions and proving that women can thrive in construction. Their participation is a milestone for gender equality in infrastructure and should be an inspiration for future trainees.”

The new Buala Market, part of Australia’s Provincial Markets Redevelopment Project, will offer a modern space for local farmers and vendors to sell their produce.

With youth and women helping build it, this market becomes more than a trading space—it becomes a beacon of progress.

Edith and Nanny are proving that with the right support, determination, and skills, anything is possible. Both have set a milestone, showcasing a possible pathway that young women in the Solomon Islands can build knowledge and skills in Technical and vocational education.

Source: AHC