A two day meeting of 60 women from around Tonga has agreed on a roadmap to press for women's rights, including reserved seats for women in Parliament.
Ofa Guttenbeil Likiliki, the Director of the Women and Children Crisis Centre, says women are not worrying too much about the Tongan government's decision to not ratify a key UN convention on discrimination against women.
She told Pacific Beat the meeting was part of activities held to mark International Women's Day.
Likiliki said they brought together women from different sectors of society to come to an understanding of the next elections in 2018.
“What we are going to do about it? How are we going to collectively work together to put a roadmap and present it to the Prime Minister and say we need your backing for this,” she said.
More than 60 women took part including representatives from the outer islands.
Bougainville Parliament Deputy Speaker Francesca Semoso and Fiji Opposition parliamentarian Salote Radrodro attended the meeting.
They shared their experiences as women parliamentarians and encouraged their participants.
Tonga’s lone woman MP Akosita Lavulavu told the meeting that she will amend her motion calling on the government to allocate four seats to women in the parliament instead of her initial motion requesting two seats.
The participants hope the motion will be on the Parliament’s June-November agenda so that it can be introduced and debated by the parliamentarians.
Tonga will hold general elections next year and it is hoped that more women will contest and win seats in the elections.
Photo Facebook Ofa Guttenbeil Likiliki: Fiji Opposition MP Salote Radrodro (far left), Tonga MP Akosita Lavulavu and Bougainville Deputy Speaker Francesca Semoso