Tongan scholar Sootino Taungakava has won recognition in the regional “Say It Loud” competition, with her poem ‘Culture is Not a Cage’ earning a merit award for its message on women’s empowerment and cultural identity.
The 25-year-old Sootino was born in Samoa and raised in Tonga. Her poem explores the relationship between cultural traditions and the rights of women and girls to speak, lead and participate equally in society.
She is currently pursuing her Masters in Agriculture at the University of the South Pacific.
Taungakava said the work reflected her belief that culture should empower rather than silence women.
“Culture is Not a Cage’ reflects my belief that culture should uplift rather than silence women,” she said.
“Through this piece, I wanted to explore the balance between respecting tradition and advocating for dignity, equality, and the freedom for women and girls to speak, lead, and be heard.”
About 'Say It Loud'
The ‘Say It Loud’ competition was established to amplify the voices of Pacific women and girls through creative expression, including spoken word, poetry and song.
Held as part of International Women’s Day 2026 celebrations, the competition aimed to highlight the role of arts and storytelling in advancing women’s rights and promoting social change.
Taungakava said, “I felt the poem aligned strongly with the International Women’s Day theme because it encourages conversations about justice, identity, and empowerment while still honouring our cultural roots,” she said.
Organisers said all entries underwent a rigorous assessment process to ensure fairness and transparency. Submissions were anonymised before judging, with names and identifying details removed.
Entries with potential conflicts of interest, including video submissions, were assessed independently, while a first round of judging shortlisted works against established criteria before the highest-scoring entries were reviewed by a regional judging panel.
The organisers said the process ensured that every submission was judged fairly, consistently and on merit.
