The Agriculture Investment for Markets and Nutrition (AIM-N) Project yesterday at the St Barnabas Cathedral Leaf Hat Melanesian Haus successfully held a Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Induction Capacity Building Training aimed at strengthening inclusive agricultural extension and service delivery across its targeted project sites namely Isabel, Western and Choiseul provinces.
The training brought together officers from the Ministry of Agriculture, AIM-N project staff, extension officers, and partner organizations, reflecting a shared commitment to delivering agricultural services that are productive, equitable, and responsive to the needs of all Solomon Islanders.
In her remarks AIM-N Project Manager Samantha Maeke, emphasized that agriculture operates within families, communities, and social systems where gender, age, disability, and social status shape participation and access to opportunities.
“GESI is not an add-on or a donor requirement. It is about how we plan our activities, engage communities, deliver extension services, collect data, and measure success,” she said.
Women make up a significant proportion of the agricultural workforce in Solomon Islands, while youth represent the future of food systems, meanwhile persons with disabilities and other marginalized groups continue to face barriers in accessing land, finance, extension services, markets, and decision-making spaces.
Addressing these challenges is central to the AIM-N Project’s approach to sustainable agricultural development.
The one-day training aims to:
- Strengthen participants’ understanding of national GESI frameworks, including gender, youth, and disability policies;
- Build a shared understanding of the AIM-N Project GESI Strategy and its application at community and field levels; and
- Encourage practical reflection on inclusive extension and service delivery in daily work.
Participants were encouraged to actively engage through discussion, sharing field experiences, and identifying practical actions to improve inclusion in agricultural programming.
The AIM-N Project reaffirmed its commitment to supporting GESI integration as a core component of achieving improved nutrition outcomes, resilient rural livelihoods, and sustainable agricultural development in Solomon Islands.
The training is expected to result in stronger collaboration across institutions and a renewed commitment to inclusive planning and service delivery.
Source: MAL Press