Women's rights

Under the constitution, it is still strictly enforced that women have restrictions to the ownership of land.

Women who wish to use land for any purpose including for cultivation can only lease land for temporary use.

The Ministry of Women's Affairs in Tonga was created at the end of 2012 and started discussions then on reviewing women's land rights by pushing to ratify the Convention on the Elimination of All Discrimination against Women.

Activist David Tilton said this shuts women out of opportunities to make revenue.

Wednesday's speech began cordially enough, with compliments to female representatives of the Senate and Lower House, who were present at the event at the Planato presidential palace.

He highlighted the importance of women's struggles in Brazil, from gaining equal voting rights to fighting femicide.

He compared the country's successes to others who still treat women as "second class citizens," and praised his wife Marcela and other women in his life for everything they do "in the house, in the home and for their children."

Mr Trump reinstated the so-called global gag rule on Monday, affecting American non-governmental organisations working abroad, to signal his opposition to abortion, which is difficult to access legally in many developing countries due to restrictive laws, stigma and poverty.

Kenyan campaigner Rosemary Olale, who teaches teenage girls in Nairobi slums about reproductive health, said women would go back to getting unsafe abortions.

"You will increase the deaths."