Cook Island women urged to change thinking on politics

Transcript

NIKI RATTLE: The woman members have said to me 'oh we're all right, we've got four women members in parliament' but in 2015 we celebrated our 50th year of self-governance and in 50 years still, the most we've ever reached in a 24 member parliament, we've only got four women members, you can't tell me we're all right. So it's not acceptable. Traditionally a member of parliament has been seen to be a man's role, it's been a male's role for so many years but I think the appetite is out there for women to come and get involved at that level of decision making. So it is important that we do something more than what we've always done. Now as we've heard, Samoa has now put a system in, they've amended their constitution, they've now gone with temporary special measures and they're finding it's working for them and it's something that women have said 'no no no no, when women get into parliament you want them to get in on their own merit' but there are a lot of barriers to break down as in the traditional thinking, you know culturally, women don't vote for women because they're supporting the men in their families. I do believe there is a shift of thinking and I do believe it will all change but the women need to make that move in standing because if you don't stand then the opportunity is not there. But women do need to change their thinking about voting women in, they don't support women.

DM-C: What is it about having women in government that helps shed light on the issues for women or to make sure that they are heard?

NR: I see in parliament the difference it would make is that women come with the every day needs in the household, the feeding of the children, looking after the money to buy the shopping, the availability of water and clothing, the children's education, when somebody gets sick, mum is looking after the children so when you look at it socially, health and education and our water sanitation, and all those kinds of things women have a lot to contribute and so there are a lot of things that women can bring to balance out the thinking 'cos you know, men talk about the roads, and the buildings and the machinery and the wharfs, all necessary things but you do need that different viewpoint.