Hemaima and Anna

Since 2013, Hemaima has held one of the most senior positions within Solomon Islands' Institute of Public Administration and Management (Ministry of Public Service) - as the manager of its Information and Communication Technology unit.

Hemaima would like to empower other Solomon Islands women to take up professional trainings and positions within the IT sector, and for these women not to be discouraged that men currently hold the majority of IT leadership roles. She also plans to develop strategies to help children who have prematurely left school to find or create jobs in their communities.

Hemaima's other achievements also include receiving a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering and undertaking research for UNDP's Rural Development Volunteers Association.

Anna is an accomplished organisational management specialist with extensive experience in the Pacific's formal and informal education, skills development and TVET sectors. Her work demonstrates her commitment to applied political economic approaches, facilitating coalitions for reform in complex political and cultural environments, and strengthening local leadership.

Anna is the former Team Leader and now-Strategic Adviser of the DFAT Vanuatu Skills Partnership. In this role, she is dedicated to growing ni-Vanuatu leadership within the program and the national skills system, and the program now operates as a locally-led national driver of reform within the Ministry of Education and Training, including with a majority of ni-Vanuatu women in senior management positions.

Anna has contributed her expertise to education, employment and skills-related assignments in Kiribati, Tonga and Sri Lanka.