Tongan women join dialogue on empowering Pacific women against violence [1]
Tuesday, November 8, 2011 - 16:38. Updated on Monday, September 9, 2013 - 18:40.
The Pacific Women's Empowerment Dialogue on Stopping Violence Against Women met at Australia's Parliament House in Canberra. The meeting was co-hosted by AusAid and the US Department of State.
The Tongan delegation attending the policy dialogue, included Polotu Fakafanua-Paunga from the Women's Affairs Department of the Ministry of Education, Women's Affairs and Culture, Lau'aitu Tupouniua Assistant Commissioner from the Tonga Police, 'Alisi Finau from Crown Law, Fuiva Kavaliku from the Tonga National Centre for Women and Children, and 'Ofa-Ki-Levuka Guttenbeil-Likiliki from the Women and Children Crisis Centre (WCCC).
The dialogue was opened by the Hon. Kevin Rudd, Minister for Foreign Affairs in Australia, and an official address by the United States Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton.
The meeting covered areas such as regional progress on ending violence against women, access to justice - looking at legislative and policing responses, providing support services for survivors, working with new partners to prevent violence against women. The meeting looked at working with communities, men and church leaders, and conducting research on the prevalence and cost of violence against women and donor and development partner responses, as well as making recommendations for a way forward
'Ofa-Ki-Levuka Guttenbeil-Likiliki, director of Tonga's WCCC said that the policy dialogue provided opportunities for Pacific island countries, including Tonga to look at the key priorities in this area for the next 5-10 years. "Also to reflect on the success of best practices in this area in the Pacific region, for example the Fiji Women's Crisis Centre and the Vanuatu Women's Centre.
"Each Pacific Island country is at a different stage, some are well advanced and others are just starting. In Tonga, we are prioritizing areas such as legislation, research and support services for survivors," she said.
The Tonga delegation returns to Tonga this week.