In a matrilineal decent system, a person’s ancestry is traced or identified through the mother’s lineage. Property and power are also inherited through the mother. But, there isn’t much difference in the role women in matrilineal systems can play in conflict resolution compared to that in a patrilineal system. However, experience shows that in matrilineal systems, a woman’s voice can be respected in the height of a tension. In a tribal war or a family argument, you will often hear both men and women use women’s names to calm a situation, for instance, “olsem sista blo yumi tufala nao bae iu faet!”

I come from Guadalcanal, one of the five provinces in Solomon Islands that actively practices a matrilineal land tenure system. I am also a distant relative of Harold Keke, the warlord and leader of the Guadalcanal Revolutionary Army, and also the most notorious rebel leader in the Solomon Islands. As the war went on, I sought to establish communication with Harold Keke. I managed to find my way out and eventually I was able to speak to him from Honiara. I informed him that a group of us women were hoping to meet with him in person. He agreed that we could go.

We felt that if we could speak to him in person, he would listen to us and stop the lawlessness that was going on at that time. So in the height of the ethnic tension, I travelled to Peochakuri village in the southern part of Guadalcanal to meet him. The trip consisted of five women: Aunty Prudence Chasi, late Susan Kukiti, Gladys Robo, late Grace Manea and myself. Late Grace Manea was from Malaita province. The conflict was between the people of Malaita and the people of Guadalcanal.

On arrival, we found out that we were not allowed to go ashore. We were told that we had to go through security, which meant we had to be checked by militant commanders. We waited for two long hours in the boat. It wasn’t easy waiting in a floating boat.

After two and half hours, the chief commander finally arrived. He informed that Harold Keke was not available, but that he would meet us the following day.

We now had to find somewhere to sleep for the night. A sister of mine approached me and told me she couldn’t have us sleep or stay at her place as she feared for her safety. At first, I couldn’t make out what she was saying as she wasn’t speaking loud enough for fear of being reported to the warlord. She told me to speak to my uncle’s caretaker and ask his permission to spend the night at his place. I did as I was told. It got a bit more frightening when a few women came and told me that they didn’t know what was going to happen to us.

At about 9:45 a.m the next day, we met with the warlord at Inakona village where he and his followers were based. It was a real challenge to go and talk to the warlord; he had so many followers and he owned high-powered weapons that his men carry around with them, even in the church when they attend prayer meetings. The place looked like an army base. Hostages were also kept there, many of them were church and community leaders. Also there were men who were in charge of the corporal punishment. It was quite terrifying but we felt that our message was very important and it had to be delivered. We were confident that being mothers, and coming in peace, Harold Keke would respect our voice.

Our team negotiated for him to prioritise and ensure the safety of the women and children of Guadalcanal in the conflict. He agreed. He also acknowledged the fact that both militia groups were now in a no-trust relationship and that a negotiation situation between the warring parties had to be reached.

We spent four days at his place before returning to Honiara. We were putting together our report to present to the Solomon Islands Christian Association (SICA) when news broke out that a team of 10 mercenaries from Kwaio in Malaita who had gone over to search out Harold Keke had unfortunately been caught and killed by Keke and his men. This was just immediately after our visit. Shortly afterwards, Harold Keke surrendered.

Image: An IFM guerilla at a waterfall in the Moro Movement area, Weathercoast of Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, 1999.

I recently gained a scholarship to study a Certificate IV in Community Development at the Australia-Pacific Technical College and I feel so excited and privileged to be part of this course, and to be undertaking my work placement at the Pacific Institute of Public Policy.

My own back ground in working with communities is diverse with a focus on Peace and reconciliation, Gender Equality and Women in leadership and decision making.

As you will know, the Solomon Islands suffered through a civil war between 1999-2003, fought mostly between militants from Guadalcanal and Malaitans who had settled in Honiara and around Guadalcanal island. Guadalcanal militants wanted their kastom land back and were worried about the many Malaitans living there, some of whom were squatters, others of whom had genuine leases.

After the war, In 2007 a reconciliation ceremony was organised by the Ministry of National Unity Peace & Reconciliation at Peochakuri village, South Guadalcanal constituency. I was also in the ceremony not as an official, but as a citizen of that particular constituency and as a Gender Advocate. The women were not participating or recognized in the official program. They had no opportunity to express their emotional feelings to their government, as the Prime Minister was the guest of honour. The women’s participation was to deliver traditional garland to the official guests, and they were dressed in their traditional costumes, but were half naked. My question was – is that the only strength that women have?

I am proud of my cultural norms, but I would like to have a woman representative amongst the official guests, dressed according to custom. The women approached me to see if I could negotiate for a change in the program so that that women could be represented, allocated a time and have a voice to deliver their thoughts.

I prepared a media statement that highlighted my disappointment in the women’s participation in the peace ceremony. The statement came out in the media (Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporations (SIBC) on 1st January 2008.

Then the government of the day offered me a position at the Ministry of National Unity Peace and Reconciliation. I started with the Ministry in February 2008 as a Senior Peace and Reconciliation Officer. My job was to make sure that women were participating in the peace process. I was involved in assisting the Provincial Liaison Peace and Reconciliation Officer in organising reconciliations at the macro and micro levels.

In 2010 I was employed with the Solomon Islands Truth and Reconciliation Commission as the Assistant Exhumation officer. The purpose of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission is to ‘address people’s traumatic experiences during the five-year ethnic conflict on Guadalcanal (1999–2004)’. Its goal is to promote national unity and reconciliation.

My specific role in the Commission was in the section that was responsible for the reunification of remains. As you can imagine the Exhumation of remains is a process that ends up with very painful and emotional feelings for all involved. Training for Exhumation officers, Forensic (Police officers) and the Solomon Islands Truth and Reconciliation Commissioners involved understanding the complex and sensitive nature of exhumation.

The process involved an invitation to relatives for a meeting to prepare them to understand and accept the process of exhumation. Also to let them know that we (SITRC) respect cultural procedures and that the SITRC was enacted in parliament in 2008 with a time frame of completion. The SITRC engages two qualified counsellors to do the healing process, as relatives receive counselling as part of their healing process.

One of my roles was to do grave mapping on the southern part of Guadalcanal Province, where most of the people were killed and buried. Before and after the grave mapping a cultural procedure must be introduced to calm their emotional reactions. Some are mass graves where there is more than one person in the grave.

In a village a mother came to express herself emotionally that she wanted her husband’s body returned in full; she got married to him in full and not just to the head alone.

The Commission worked with multiple stakeholders such as:

• International Expertise
• DPP
• Police (Forensic)
• NGOs
• Solomon Islands Christian Association (SICA)
• Relatives (victims)
• Perpetrators

I have a strong belief in the rights of women to have a voice in decision making, especially since most of the Solomon Islands follows a matrilineal land system. Solomon Islands has three women only in parliamentary positions. Consequently in 2010 I stood for Parliament in the election in South Guadalcanal constituency and was unsuccessful, however I intend to stand again in the next election in 2018.

Over the next five months I hope to be able make a positive contribution to pacificpolicy.org and gain new knowledge and insights to inform my work and that will make a difference in the Solomon Islands.

I will write more around women’s issues and the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that is doing much to help heal the wounds we suffered during the war.