PPSEAWA Tonga Chapter Report

Release Date

PPSEAWA - TONGA Annual General Meeting 24th February 2005 Moulton Hall, Free Wesleyan Church Of Tonga

The AGM (Annual General Meeting) of the PPSEAWA Tonga was chaired by the 1st Vice President of the PPSEAWA Tonga, Mrs. Melenaite Tangi, on the 24th of February at the Moulton Hall of the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga at 2:00pm.

One of the items of the agenda’s meeting was the election of new post for the next 3 years , which was chaired by Ms. Hauoli Vi, the Deputy Secretary General of the National Women’s Council and the PPSEAWA Director on the International Council.

The new elected member for 2005 - 2007, 1st Vice President, Mrs. Melenaite Tangi, 2nd Vice President, Mrs. Mele Longalei Fifita, 3rd Vice President, Mrs. ‘Alisi Pone Fotu. The Secretary General, Mrs. Mafile’o Vakasiuola, Deputy Secretary, Claire ‘Iongi, and the Treasurer, Mrs. Seketi Fuko, and the Deputy is Mrs. Fuiva Kavaliku.

The PPSEAWA TONGA is still under the auspices of Her Majesty, Queen Halaevalu Mata’aho and Her Royal Highness Princess, Nanasai Pau’u Tuku’aho, the outgoing International President.

Empowering Of Tongan Women Through Increased Participation In Decision Making That Adheres To Principles Of Good Governance

Empowering of Tongan Women Through Increased Participation in Decision Making that Adheres to Principles of Good Governance is the Local Theme translated from the International Theme of the International Women’s Day for Tongan Women of Today.

The National Women’s Council, Langafonua ‘a Fafine Tonga, the elderly sister of the PPSEAWA Tonga is organizing a special event to commemorate the International Women’s Day.

The special event highlights the milestone that we all Tongan Women have reached in 2005, through the participation of the women candidates in the Parliamentary election of 2005. This is the first time that a lot of women candidates are contesting and have participated in skills training and campaign management training conducted by the National Women’s Council, Langafonua ‘A Fafine Tonga with the assistance of the AusAID Small Grants scheme funding.

The special events will also pay special tribute and salute to all the Tongan Women Candidates.

There are only 6 women candidates altogether out of 58 male contesting in the parliamentary election. Two of the Women Candidates are Ms. Fuiva Kavaliku the former Secretary General of the National Women’s Council, Langafonua ‘a Fafine Tonga and Mrs. ‘Alisi Pone Fotu, the 3rd Vice President of the PPSEAW TONGA are Tongatapu Candidates.

For all those who attended the Singapore meeting last year, may recall that Mrs. ‘Alisi Pone Fotu had mentioned in one of the discussions that she will contest in the Parliamentary election of 2005, in which she have proven it.

From today onwards, the 6th of March, 2005, there only 11 days to the election on the 17th of March, 2005.

Last but not the least, these women candidates have braved the difficulties of the cultural barriers of paving the way for all the women of Tonga today, by standing up and contesting the National Election, just to ensure that it’s best represented in parliament the issues concerning women such as issues impacting the livelihood of families in Tonga in which, we the women of today experience it first hand.

Brief Background of the Skills Training and Campaign Management Training

This is a Project that focus mainly in the training provided by the Sister Organisation of the PPSEAWA TONGA, the National Women’s Council, Langafonua ‘a Fafine Tonga. This is the Phase 2 Project of the Langafonua Voter Education, titled, “Increasing Women’s Participation at all levels of decision making.”

It is to ensure the capacity building development for women candidates for 2005 national elections through continuation of Voter Education ; skills training for women candidates, evaluation of election campaign for women candidates and publication of Tonga experience; training for new parliamentarians on parliamentary procedures and training of women support group to provide ongoing analysis of bills and other tasks as needed by women parliamentarians.

For more information, contact Ms. Hauoli Vi, the Project Coordinator of the Voter Education at langakali11 [at] hotmail.com (langakali11[at]hotmail[dot]com)

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