Two women civil servants received their Masters' Degrees and Post Graduate Certificates from institutions in Japan, in an award ceremony in Nuku'alofa, on 27 October.

Victorina Leger of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Mele Siale Manu of the Ministry of Lands, Survey and Natural Resources received their Master’s Degrees in Disaster Management from the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies.

They also received Post-Graduate Certificates in Earthquake Engineering from the International Institute of Seismology and Earthquake Engineering.

The two participated in a one-year training program implemented in collaboration by GRIPS and IISEE under JICA's Knowledge Co-Creation Program as technical cooperation of the Government of Japan.

JICA Tonga office stated today normally the course is offered in Japan but due to Covid-19 restrictions, it was conducted online.

Despite the many challenges of online training they faced including time difference and the HTHH volcanic eruption that caused communication breakdown, the trainees were able to successfully complete the course. As a coincidence, the volcano eruption became a basis for their thesis.

The award ceremony was arranged by JICA Tonga where they received their certificates from Mr. Hiroaki Takashima, JICA's Resident Representative.

Mr. Takashima praised the two students for their efforts in obtaining their Master’s degree online, thanked their families for their support and encouraged them to continue their studies in their respective fields of expertise, while maintaining a network of training institutions in Japan.

"JICA promotes gender equality and last year, two male civil servants were awarded the same opportunity. This year, these two young women proved that engineering is not a career for men only."

The ceremony was also attended by their families of the achievers.