‘I can rise above expectations’: the woman breaking barriers in Pacific politics
Source: The Guardian
In the final days of her election campaign, Cathy Nori considered giving up. The 57-year-old had been trekking up a mountain, near her home in Isabel province, Solomon Islands, when she was overcome with exhaustion.
“I couldn’t help but question my purpose, silently asking … why I was enduring such hardship,” Nori says in an interview with the Guardian.
Yet in that moment, the former businesswoman summoned her strength and sought comfort from her team.
“It was a pivotal moment, a fleeting temptation to surrender that I chose to overcome. It’s the first-hand experience of rural struggles that fuels my determination,” Nori says.
Nori turned to politics about a decade ago and, after two failed election bids, will this year join Solomon Islands’ parliament for the first time. She will represent part of Isabel province, which has a population of about 35,000 people and is beset by problems including poor roads and a lack of infrastructure.
She is one of just three women elected to the Pacific country’s 50-seat parliament in last month’s national election. Nori will be joined by Freda Rangirei Tuki, representing Temotu-Vatud in Temotu province, and Choilyn Yim Douglas for the Ngella constituency, Central Islands province.
Read here the full article published by the Guardian on 08 May 2024.
Image by The Guardian
In the final days of her election campaign, Cathy Nori considered giving up. The 57-year-old had been trekking up a mountain, near her home in Isabel province, Solomon Islands, when she was overcome with exhaustion.
“I couldn’t help but question my purpose, silently asking … why I was enduring such hardship,” Nori says in an interview with the Guardian.
Yet in that moment, the former businesswoman summoned her strength and sought comfort from her team.
“It was a pivotal moment, a fleeting temptation to surrender that I chose to overcome. It’s the first-hand experience of rural struggles that fuels my determination,” Nori says.
Nori turned to politics about a decade ago and, after two failed election bids, will this year join Solomon Islands’ parliament for the first time. She will represent part of Isabel province, which has a population of about 35,000 people and is beset by problems including poor roads and a lack of infrastructure.
She is one of just three women elected to the Pacific country’s 50-seat parliament in last month’s national election. Nori will be joined by Freda Rangirei Tuki, representing Temotu-Vatud in Temotu province, and Choilyn Yim Douglas for the Ngella constituency, Central Islands province.
Read here the full article published by the Guardian on 08 May 2024.
Image by The Guardian