The Māori sexual and reproductive health promotion organisation Te Whāriki Takapou (TWT) is critical of the decision by Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) to spend $18.4m on the Mates and Dates programme. Mates and Dates is a programme for secondary school students. It is aimed at teaching young people healthy relationship skills and behaviour to help prevent Read more
Tonga’s Prime Minister says the ratification of the Convention for the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) has divided the nation. Mr ‘Akilisi Pohiva said local women’s groups would again be asked to carry out public consultations. Tonga has been preparing to ratify the convention since 2015. Last year Pohiva said the Read more
The Prime Minister of Tonga, ‘Akilisi Pohiva, says the issue of ratifying a United Nations Convention CEDAW which recently led to protests in the country, will be put to the public, after the coronation celebrations end. Cabinet announced earlier this year its intention to join the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Read more
A petition has been presented to the Tonga parliament backing the government’s efforts to ratify the United Nation’s Convention to Eliminate All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, or CEDAW. Ofa Guttenbeil-Likiliki, the director of the Women’s and Children’s Crisis Centre, stated in an interview with Radio New Zealand that there are plenty of people who Read more
The Catholic Church believes it is unlikely there will be a referendum on whether Tonga should ratify the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). In an interview on Radio Australia Father Seluini Akauola said opposition to ratifying CEDAW is very strong. Akauola said the suggestion that there should Read more
Tonga’s Catholic Women’s League marched to Parliament on Tuesday to present a petition asking the government not to ratify the United Nation’s Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Parliament opens 28 May. The government announced to the UN in March this year that it intended to ratify CEDAW. The main reasons for Read more
Tonga’s Cardinal Mafi has written a letter giving the reasons the Catholic church does not support the Government’s decision to ratify the Convention on the Elimination of any form of Discrimination Against Women [CEDAW]. Mafi says all forms of discrimination against women are already clear enough in Tonga’s laws and are forbidden in Christian churches. He Read more
Women advocates at a recent roundtable discussion in Nuku’alofa perceived that their main antagonists are the church ministers, the faifekau, who propagate fear of the future. There were at least four faifekau in the room. One of them shouted, “You women should know your place!” The roundtable meeting was called to discuss the Tonga’s ratification of Read more