Seventeen of Solomon Islands' largest businesses, with more than 6000 employees, are making efforts to ensure they have more women in leadership positions.
Solomon Islands women at church Photo: RNZ/Koroi Hawkins
The businesses have also committed to build respectful and supportive workplaces, and promote women to non-traditional jobs.
They have signed up to the Waka Mere Commitment to Action, an initiative of the World Bank Group's commercial arm, the IFC and the Solomons Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The IFC Pacific head, Thomas Jacobs, said, as part of the initiative, 12 companies also have workers completing training to deal with family and domestic violence.
He said violence takes a terrible toll on women and comes at a cost to business, through increased absenteeism and other impacts.
Mr Jacobs said these companies understand it makes good business sense to help staff facing violence.
