Solomon Islands climate change impacts disproportionately affect girls

Millicent Barty, founder of Kastom Keepers, has highlighted the disproportionate impact of climate change-induced loss and damage on girls and young women in the Solomon Islands. Speaking at a panel titled ‘The Tide Remembers: Pacific Stories of Loss, Damage and Gender Justice’, Barty detailed how rising sea levels are forcing communities to relocate.

Barty shared accounts from the Malaita Province, specifically regarding the islands of Fanalei and Walande. In Fanalei, where approximately 15 families resided during a 2018 study, only two families reportedly remain who refuse to move. Walande has since completely disappeared, with a new community established on the mainland.

Barty noted that when communities face such irreversible economic and social impacts, children—particularly girls—often bear the heaviest burden, frequently being expected to absorb the losses. She recounted a case where a family secured mainland relocation through an arranged marriage to ensure their future stability.