Pionie Boso is a women's rights activist from the
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and north-west of Vanuatu. It has a land area of , and a population of approx. 700,000. Its capita ...
, who was awarded an
International Women of Courage Award
The International Women of Courage Award, also referred to as the U.S. Secretary of State's International Women of Courage Award, is an American award presented annually by the United States Department of State to women around the world who have ...
in 2011 for her work towards ending
gender-based violence Gender-related violence or gender-based violence includes any kind of violence directed against people due to their gender or gender identification.
Types of gender-related violence include:
* Violence against women (sometimes referred to simply a ...
in the country.
Career
Boso worked for the Solomon Islands government in the
Ministry of Women, Youth and Children, in the role policy officer for the End Violence Against Women (EVAW) program. In 2009 she led the first national domestic violence survey in the Solomon Islands, which demonstrated that 64% of women aged 16 to 49 had experienced sexual or physical violence.
In 2016 the Solomon Islands launched its inaugural Family Protection Act, which was a direct result of the survey. In 2011 she was awarded an
International Women of Courage Award
The International Women of Courage Award, also referred to as the U.S. Secretary of State's International Women of Courage Award, is an American award presented annually by the United States Department of State to women around the world who have ...
for her work on and leadership of the national domestic violence survey.
As of 2021, Boso was program manager for the
Women's Rights Action Movement, an advocacy organisation for women based in the Solomon Islands.
She has been outspoken about the lack of political representation of women in the government of the Solomon Islands,
stating that:
Awards
*
International Women of Courage Award
The International Women of Courage Award, also referred to as the U.S. Secretary of State's International Women of Courage Award, is an American award presented annually by the United States Department of State to women around the world who have ...
(2011).
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boso, Pionie
Living people
Year of birth missing (living people)
Solomon Islands women's rights activists
Solomon Islands women
21st-century Solomon Islands people
Recipients of the International Women of Courage Award