Results for Women

Tongan women who want to participate in the national decision making process and are determined to take their rightful place in national politics, have made their views known on International Women's Day (March 8) in Nuku'alofa, at the Langa Fonua centre.

International Women's Day in Tonga in Tonga on March 8 is being supported by the Chinese Embassy in Nuku'alofa with sponsorship of radio and television programmes run by the Women and Development Centre of the Prime Minister's office.

Reaching out to Tongan women to explain their rights, and to help eliminate discrimination against them, is the aim of a newly formed women’s working group. From Matangi Tonga Magazine Vol. 18, no. 3, December 2003.

Reaching out to Tongan women to explain their rights, and to help eliminate discrimination against them, is the aim of a newly formed women'’s working group. -Matangi Tonga, Vol. 18, No. 3

A Centre for Women and Children that was started by the Catholic Women’s League in Nuku‘alofa, has became a National Project of Tonga, in order to survive and to grow, the CWL Annual General Meeting was told in April. From Matangi Tonga Magazine Vol. 18, no. 2, August 2003.

Because our society still condones male violence, the victims cannot be properly protected. Tonga's legal system cannot effectively protect the victims of domestic violence until there is a change of attitudes and behavior across society. Matangi Tonga, Vol. 18, No. 2. 1 August 2003.

FROM OUR ARCHIVES: There was no looking back for Betty Blake after she accepted a challenge to help the women and children in Tonga who were being treated badly. Betty, who has been working extensively with women in the villages throughout Tonga since 1996, is sure that the first step for women to gain equality is for women to know their rights. “About 95% of the women who filled the questionnaire did not know their rights. They assumed that once they were married their husband owned everything they had, and therefore they had to be obedient, they believed ‘it is alright if he beats me because I am his wife’.” Most of the women she was dealing with had been conditioned to think this way and it was very difficult for them to break out of it. Interview from Matangi Tonga Magazine, Vol. 15, no. 4, January 2001.

In the past they kept their anger and sadness to themselves, but today if Tongan women are not happy, and if they are hurt, they will speak out because they have the right to do so, says international women’s leader, Princess Nanasipau‘u Tuku‘aho of Tonga. Interview by Pesi Fonua. From Matangi Tonga Magazine, Vol. 15, no. 4, January 2001.