Tonga look to bolster women numbers in politics

Transcript

Tonga's government is hoping that the upcoming local body elections will usher in a new era of women participation in politics.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs has been holding workshops across the islands to promote the idea of women standing in the June elections and also to impart confidence in their ability to be politicians.

Chief Executive Ana Bing-Fonua also invited New Zealand MP Jenny Salesa to take part in one of the meetings.

Ms Bing-Fonua told Koro Vaka'uta the government is looking at various ways to improve women's participation, including quotas, and they are exploring options used overseas.

ANA BING-FONUA:  We will definitely look at how Samoa uses temporary special measures and quotas and other examples as well  We are hoping that with the local elections coming up and scheduled for June, thereafter we will be able to look into assistance and who and what can help us give us options to be considered for government and the legislative assembly.

KORO VAKA'UTA:  What's the history of women in politics in Tonga?

ABF:  The political reform of 2010 is a huge contributor on how we are progressing forward with having women in politics.  Prior to 2010, there hasn't been much involvement of women in politics but there was a practice parliament that was held and that had perhaps encouraging, empowered a lot of women in realising their contribution that they can contribute towards pushing forward the national policy of gender and development.  Women also realising the external impacts of climate change.  There are other conventions in terms of the rights of the children that women are at the forefront of advocating.

KV:  With these local body elections, what's it looking like in terms of candidates and women running, taking part?

ABF:  There would be a shared participation.  I cannot say now that there would be a strong participation.  There still needs to be a lot of awareness raised in terms of what exactly the role and contribution of women is.  There still needs to be awareness in terms of what the actual role of town and district officers are.  At the moment here in Tonga even the government, at the CEO level it is approaching 50 percent of CEOs are women in government ministries.  If you go down to the deputy  CEOs it is dominated by women so it is just translating and transferring that.

KV:  Mrs Salesa had mentioned that a lot of the obstacles women faced in Tonga was from their own mindsets and their own mental restrictions that they placed upon themselves.  Are you finding that is changing?

ABF:  I think it's changing.  I think the more we hold these workshops and explain to them the roles and their capacity to be able to fulfil the responsibilities, I think it's providing more confidence.  Some of them perhaps don't realise the work that they have contributed to the communities they live.

KV:  Of course from the male perspective, are mindsets changing there as well?

ABF:  From research males vote for women.  Most of the voters of women are males, it is the women who don't vote for women.  So it is, in my perspective, (it's important) having women raise awareness and be able to support women as well because majority of voters who support women are men.