A workshop is taking place in Solomon Islands to address the needs of women, youth and children.
The newly formed Ministry of Women, Youth and Children is hoping to draw up a corporate plan over the next three days and has invited various stakeholders to help.
The ministry's Permanent Secretary, Ethel Sigimanu, says representatives from the Autonomous Government of Bougainville, Samoa and Fiji are also there.
Mrs Sigimanu says the main problems addressing children and young people is a lack of opportunities and of children's rights.
She says women face other problems including gender inequality in education, violence and a lack of political representation.
"There's a very little percentage of women in the decision making level. In parliament we don't have women at the senior government level; there are only 6 percent of women at the decision making level and the same goes for all other levels within decision making."
The ministry's Permanent Secretary, Ethel Sigimanu.
