Two of five women candidates have won seats for the first time in this week's election for the Isabel provincial assembly election in Solomon Islands.
Solomon Islands have no women MP's in the national government and until this election just one woman in a provincial assembly - Malaita.
The supervising provincial secretary for the Isabel province, Devi Patteson, says it is a positive development.
"I do welcome these two women that have won the provincial election. And I think this is the first time that the Isabel provincial government, or the assembly for that matter, we managed to push in two women at this 2006 election. and I would like to welcome them both to the political arena."
Mr Patteson says the population is starting to realise that women can do as well or even better in politics than men.
He says the two women, Beverly Dick and Rhoda Sikilabu, have focused their campaigns on improving living standards and he hopes they can fulfil their promise.
