Urban populations in Solomon Islands: women, markets and in/security Dr Anita Lacey Department of Political Studies University of Auckland UN-HABITAT World Urban Forum 5 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, March 2010

Locating Solomon Islands

Solomon Islands context Currently ranked 129 in HDI Linked to own positioning as researcher in Pacific Apt example of a global security/development nexus (Duffield) and the contemporary governance of security and aid Apt example of danger of loss of development initiatives to geo-strategic security and market agendas

Honiara as an urban site massive growth in the last fifteen years growth + concurrent and interlinked livelihood, resource, security, access and sustainability challenges linked to a violent and turbulent civil conflict – known locally as ‘the tensions’ – between

Globally small but key features of urban vulnerabilities –access to clean water; –a lack of access to adequate shelter; –food insecurity; –personal insecurity, particularly for women facing gender-based violence; –a lack of access to healthcare; poor nutrition standards; –unsustainable urban growth patterns.

The development gaze and urban populations +88% live rural subsistence livelihood What does this rural/urban divide mean? Does the increasingly international development community and regional security community recognise these dual and coexisting populations?

Honiara Central Market Honiara’s urban issues in context: –Informal livelihoods and food security –Rural-urban population shifts –Sanitation –Shelter –Women’s spaces and violence against women

Potential for change? Potential for development aid actors: –City of Honiara Council improvement project –Market improvement project –New Violence Against Women Office at national government level

Need for recognition of intersecting vulnerabilities Need for dialogue

WHERE TO FIND OUT MORE: Dr Anita Lacey, Senior Lecturer, International Relations, Department of Political Studies, University of Auckland, Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand, Tel: extn ; Fax: Web: cfm?S=STAFF_alac003