The proportion of women in business leadership has mostly remained steady since 2021 in Tonga, where men still hold over four out of every five board director positions, and the number of boards with no women directors at all has increased, from 22% in 2021 to 31% in 2024, according to a new report published by the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB’s) Pacific Private Sector Development Initiative (PSDI).

“This signals that continued efforts are required to create more inclusive and diverse corporate cultures in Tonga,” said the report’s author, PSDI expert, Sarah Boxall.

The report, "Leadership Matters 2024: Benchmarking Women in Business Leadership in the Pacific" expands on the baseline established in the 2021 Leadership Matters report, in order to track advancements in women’s representation as board directors, board chairs, deputy board chairs, and chief executive officers across 14 Pacific countries.

“The new Leadership Matters report finds that women’s representation in business leadership in the Pacific has generally stayed the same since 2021 and hovers around regional averages in most measures,” said Ms Boxall.

The proportion of women CEOs in Tonga grew slightly, from 18% in 2021 to 21% in 2024, and the proportion of women directors remained steady at 19%, below the regional average.

There is a significant decrease in the representation of women on Tonga's state-owned enterprise boards, from 18% to only 6%, with men still holding over four out of every five board director positions.

The report showed that women as board directors in Tonga remains low. The report stated that the average number of women as board directors in Tonga remained unchanged since 2021, at 19%.

Pacific regional averages for women’s representation in business leadership

Board directors: 26% in 2024, up from 21% in 2021.
Board chairs: 12% in 2024, uo from 11% in 2021.
Deputy board chairs: 18% in 2024, down from 19% in 2021.
CEO: 20% in 2024, up from 13% in 2021.

The Cook Islands, Kiribati, Samoa, and Tuvalu stand out as having higher proportions of women directors and CEOs than most countries in the region, while Fiji and Papua New Guinea are the only countries in the region to not meet or exceed the regional average on any measure.

“A myriad of global and local influences and social norms continue to shape Pacific women’s aspirations and opportunities for leadership, and entrenched gender roles, particularly those around caring responsibilities, remain a significant challenge,” said Ms Boxall.

“While we celebrate these improvements, many of the gains since 2021 have been modest and have been uneven across countries, sectors, and organization types. ... We must also recognize the persistent gender disparities these figures reveal and continue to strive for equal representation in leadership, both globally and in the Pacific.”

Across the Pacific, men still hold around three out of every four board director positions, nine out of every ten board chair positions, and four out every five CEO positions. Almost one-quarter (24%) of all Pacific boards still have no women directors.

The report draws on data from 397 organizations across ADB’s 14 Pacific developing member countries (DMCs), as well as insights from more than 350 Pacific business leaders, gathered through a survey and in-depth interviews.

PSDI is an ADB technical assistance program undertaken in partnership with the governments of Australia and New Zealand. It supports ADB’s 14 Pacific DMCs to improve the enabling environment for business and to achieve inclusive, private sector-led economic growth, including through reforms designed to enhance the economic empowerment of women.