Results for Women

In the Pacific Tonga is very lucky because women are well respected by men because of our unique culture despite the developments of this century, the Queen Mother Halaevalu Mata'aho said yesterday. As keynote speaker for the Tonga celebration of International Women's Day, the Queen Mother noted this year's theme "Investing in Women and Girls - Valuing Women's Work" and said this is evident in the displays of handicrafts and weaving of women's valuable work.

Tonga will celebrate International Women's Day this year on March 13, with a programme of events on the theme: "Investing in Women and Girls - Valuing Women's Work."

Mele Fakapulia (29) of Ha'ateiho gave birth to triplets - three healthy girls - on Tuesday, June 12.

What does it take to make gender equality a reality? Ministers, civil servants and representatives of donor agencies, academia and civil society tackled this tricky question at the first full day of the 10th Triennial Conference of Pacific Women, which has drawn more than 150 people to SPC's Noumea headquarters.

Dr Margaret Chan the Director General of the World Health Organization on in a statement on International Women's Day today, said that given the right support, women can be a positive force in ways that can lift households and entire communities out of poverty. "Women are the backbone of all our societies - as leaders, as caregivers, and as mothers. Yet on this day and every day, we remember that too many women in the world lack access to the most basic health care," she said.

The Chinese Ambassador to Tonga, HE Mr Hu Yeshun on February 28 praised the Women's Affairs Division of the Ministry of Education for their work on the social status of Tongan women.

"Ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you," the Tonga Minister responsible for Women's Affairs, Hon. Cecil Cocker, told a Prayer Breakfast that was held on March 8, 2006, to mark International Women's Day in Tonga.

Six of Tonga's oldest women including 105 year old Funaki Hafoka of Afa and103 year old Sesilia Pau'u Lakie of Houma, were treated to free phone cards so they could call their families and friends on the women's day Faka-Sepitema last Friday.

The fight against gender inequalities and undemocratic societies in the world and in particular in Commonwealth countries could never be won unless hunger, homelessness, illiteracy, underdevelopment, repression and dictatorship are defeated, Hon. Lindiwe Maseko, the Chairperson for the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians said in Nuku'alofa today.