BY JOY OFASIA
The Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources (MFMR) has launched its Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) Strategy 2026–2030, aimed at strengthening inclusive approaches across the fisheries sector.
The strategy was officially launched today, at the MFMR office in Honiara.
The GEDSI Strategy provides a framework for the Ministry to better consider gender equality, disability and social inclusion in its policies, programmes and activities.
Its development was supported by the Pacific Community (SPC) through the Pacific-European Union Marine Partnership (PEUMP) programme, including its second phase, PEUMP II.
The development process involved a review of existing policies, consultations with communities in Makira and Western provinces, stakeholder engagement and interviews with selected MFMR staff.
A validation workshop was also held as part of the process before the strategy was endorsed by the Ministry in April 2026.
The launch was held alongside a GEDSI training programme for MFMR staff.
The training aims to refresh and strengthen staff knowledge and capacity to apply GEDSI principles in their daily work and decision-making.
It also aims to support the socialisation and implementation of the new strategy across the different divisions within the Ministry.
The Ministry said strengthening GEDSI approaches is important to ensure that different groups, including women, people with disabilities and other marginalised communities, are considered in fisheries policies and programmes.
The strategy is expected to guide MFMR’s work from 2026 to 2030 and contribute to a more inclusive and equitable fisheries sector in Solomon Islands.
