Over $2000 in prizes are being offered for a cheering competition to be held during the 2015 Inter-College Athletic Competition on April 15-17, to raise awareness on women's issues.

Organised by the International Women’s Day National Planning Committee, the activity will focus on creating awareness around the issues of getting women in parliament and ending violence against women and children.

The cheering competition “is an opportunity for both secondary school students and the general public to be more aware of the issues," the IWD committee stated.

Seven secondary schools will compete, including Tonga High School, Tupou College, Tonga College, ‘Apifo’ou College, Takuilau College and Queen Salote College.

The winners will be announced on the final day with a first prize of $1,000 pa’anga, $800 for second and $600 for third, funded by the UN Women and the Australian Government.

The activity will use this year's national theme, 'Make it Happen, Women in Parliament’. International Women's Day is marked annually on March 8. This year Tonga celebrated 2015 International Women’s Day with a Sunday Mass and a televised panel program.