Tongan women still face obstacles

In the AusAID Papua New Guinea and Pacific Region Update held at the Australian National University on 8 December 2009, a discussion ensued about Tongan women and the obstacles still facing them.

Tonga is typically a patriarchal society. However, girls are attending school and women are entering the workforce in increasing numbers. Nevertheless there are four fundamental socio-political and legal barriers that women face.

(1) Prohibition on land ownership - the Tongan legal system denies women access to land ownership, including hereditary entitlement, tax allotment, and leasehold. The most common route to land ownership for women is to use land belonging to a male relative or to obtain a lease in a male relative's name.

(2) Legal barriers - equal rights to inheritance, on divorce or during employment, are not available to Tongan women. There are no affirmative action laws, maternity laws or laws prohibiting sexual discrimination. Hence it is difficult for women to remain in the workforce.

(3) Political and institutional barriers - women do not participate in electing the nine nobles in the legislative assembly (only men can be appointed and only men can elect the nobles). Women therefore do not participate in electing 33% of their representatives in parliament.

(4) Human rights - Tonga has committed itself to gender equality through a number of regional and international commitments however it has not signed three key treaties central to addressing gender discrimination: the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women; the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Recent initiatives by donors include the Gender and Investment Climate Reform Assessment by the International Finance Corporation and AusAID; and the AusAID community development schemes. These initiatives hope to bring to centre stage the importance of eliminating gender discrimination as well as incorporating women as equals in decisions toward sustainable economic development.

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