Tonga reneges on CEDAW commitment

Women will remain second class citizens subservient and submissive to men - to say women have strength and power in Tonga is rubbish, in reality women are powerless until they can own land and control their own financial destiny. The fact that a husband can legally rape his wife, and that women cannot inherit land, or and yeah and a women is supposed to be a virgin on her wedding day and she must show to the husband's family blood in the sheets on her wedding night to prove she was a virgin, these are just a few things that say Tongan women are oppressed by civilized world standards, and then there's the pressure to be overweight and obese because the "Men" say fat women are sexy. I rest my case! How educated women can stand for this is beyond most people, perhaps that's why the smartest Tongan women have left Tonga and marry Palangi men who treat them as equals.

Shame on Tonga and the coward political leaders who failed to counter the lies and misinformation about CEDAW, especially by Cardinal Mafi, Ma'afu Palu, and their followers. Here are some recent headlines in Matangi Tonga, Just in the last week:

• Alleged beating of 12-year-old in Ha'ano
• Husband accused of violent domestic assault
• Father charged with whipping 5 year old daughter
• Charges allege husband threw boiling water on wife.
According to a recent report by Amnesty International: "The Pacific Islands region is on the worst places in the world to be a woman. In this region almost 70% of women and girls experience rape or other sexual violence, one the highest percentages in the world".
This figure was backed by another recent report by The Ma'a Fafine mo e Famili which visited over 1000 households in Tonga. They found that violence against women in Tonga was among the highest in the Pacific.
Shame on the Catholic leadership who said "CEDAW was not for Tonga because women were not born equipped with the brain to be leaders like men". Don't forget that Pope Francis has himself admitted that up to 1 in 50 Catholic Priests sexually abuse children. Official figures say it's closer to 1 in 20. Do we really want leaders with such a shocking reputation within their ranks to shape Tonga's decision on CEDAW?

Talk with people like Ofa Guttenbeil-Likiliki from the Women and Children's Crisis Centre, who knows full well the impact of not ratifying CEDAW.

Kapau ko e katoa 'o e kakai fefine 'oku nofo 'i he pasifiki (region) ko'eni, 'oku toko 1 kilu (100,000) 'oku fiema'u ha fakamatala meihe lekooti 'a e kau polisi ke fakamo'oni'i 'aki 'a e fakamatala 'a e 'Amnesty International', na'e 'i ai 'a e kakai fefine 'e toko fitu mano (70,000) 70% na'a nau launga ki he kau polisi ko hono pa'usi'i (abuse) kinautolu. Ko e talanoa 'a e 'Amnesty International' mo e 'The Ma'a Fafine mo e Famili' ko e misi mo e fo'i usu pe he 'oku 'ikai ke 'i ai hano fakamo'oni'i. Ko e tokolahi 'o e kakai fefine 'o Tonga mahalo ki he toko nima mano, ko e launga ki he kau polisi fekau'aki mo e 'abuse' kakai fefine 'i he ta'u mahalo pe 'oku a'u ki he 50 - 100 pe 'ikai. Ko e kakai vale pe tenau tui ki ha fakamatala fasitu'u peheni. 'Oku 'i ai 'a e kautaha 'oku nau poupou'i 'a e 'CEDAW' & 'abortion' 'i 'Amelikani 'oku ui ko e 'Planned Parenthood' ke fakakaukau'i 'a e famili 'o ngaue'aki 'abortion' ke 'oua na'a fu'u toko lahi he 'e honge 'a mamani. Ko e me'a leva 'oku hoko ko e fakakaukau'i pe famili mo e ngaohi pepee (making babies) 'o to'o (abortion) 'o fakatau atu ke ma'u ai ha pa'anga. Kuo 'osi fakamo'oni'i 'i ha ngaahi tepi fakafufuu 'a e kau fakatotolo 'a e me'ani. Faka'ulia atu pe 'a e fakalilifu hotau mamani he ngaahi 'ahoni. Kuo to'o 'ehe ngaahi 'states' ni'ihi 'enau tokoni faka-pa'anga ki he kautaha ni ka 'oku lolotonga ngaue 'a e falealea ke to'o mo e tokoni 'a e pule'anga (federal). Ko hono 'uhinga ia na'e 'ikai fakamo'oni ai 'a 'Amelika kihe CEDAW he 'e kaunoa'ia 'ae UN 'ihe faihia ko'eni 'ae kakai fefine 'o 'Amelika 'ihe kelekele 'o 'Amelika kapau na'e fakamo'oni 'a 'Amelika ki he talite ko'eni. Kuo'osi 'i ai pe 'a e lao 'a 'Amelika moTonga ke malu'i'aki kakai fefine, pea kapau 'e maumau'i 'e he kakai fefine 'o Tonga 'a e lao koia hange ko e kakai fefine 'Amelika, 'o to'o fanga pepee 'o fakatau atu honau kongokonga, pea faka'ilo pe kinautolu 'o fakatatau ki he'etau lao Tonga, 'o 'oua na'a kaunoa'ia ai 'a mamani (UN-CEDAW) ....SAIA