News
This page collects stories on developments throughout the Pacific in promoting women in politics. Because many news sites in the Pacific archive their stories after a period of time, we have replicated the stories in full on this page, to keep an archive on efforts and article in the region. We thank all Pacific news colleagues for their contributions in sharing stories on women in politics. If you have a story we have missed, please send it to the PacWIP team on pacwip@gmail.com.
Tongatapu 6 sends Tonga’s only woman MP to new Parliament
21st November, 2025
For the second election in a row, Tongatapu 6 has delivered Tonga’s only woman MP, while every other constituency elected men. Fane Fangufangu Fituafe won the seat with 978 votes, defeating outgoing MP Dulcie Tei, who secured 835 votes. In an interview with John Pulu on PMN Tonga, Fituafe says her priority is education and youth opportunities,...
Herolyn S. Movick: First women elected Lieutenant Governor in Pohnpei State
18th November, 2025
Tonga election: Women’s advocate urges greater female representation in parliament
14th November, 2025
[Teuila Fuatai] Parliamentary Elections will take place on 18 November, 2021. The Electoral Commission of Tonga continues to provide assistance and support on all electoral matters to electors, polling officials, returning officers and candidates. Photo: Electoral Commission – Kingdom of Tonga The head of Tonga’s Women and Children’s Crisis Centre (WCCC) says too many important...
Fiji SODELPA Youth Board now 43% female
10th November, 2025
[Sosiveta Korobiau] The Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) Youth Annual General Meeting (AGM) has marked a new milestone for gender inclusivity, with women now making up 43 per cent of the party’s youth executive board. Among the newly elected members is Angeline Tikoitoga, a business strategist, operations consultant, and sustainable development advocate, who has...
Gender quota proposed for Fiji political parties
08th November, 2025
[By Cheerieann Wilson] THE Consolidated Review Report on the 2022 General Elections Joint Report is proposing the introduction of a gender quota for political party candidates, Parliament was told this week. The recommendation is aimed at encouraging more women to contest future elections. Tabling the report in Parliament on Thursday, Assistant Minister for Home Affairs...
Pacific Women Lead Intergenerational Dialogue to Advance Political Participation
30th September, 2025
Nadi, Fiji – Over 30 women leaders, youth advocates, parliamentarians and gender equality champions from across the Pacific have gathered in Nadi, Fiji, for the WYDE | Women’s Leadership Regional Intergenerational Dialogue: Waves of Change – Pacific Women in Politics Across Generations, held from 30 September to 1 October 2025. Convened by UN Women’s Fiji Multi-Country...
Tonga Practice Parliament for Women 2025 concludes with strong calls for women’s voices in national policy
18th September, 2025
The Practice Parliament for Women 2025 (PPW 2025) has concluded its two-day sitting with resounding calls for stronger inclusion of women’s voices in national policy and decision-making. Guided by the theme “Women’s Voices for Sustainable Solutions for Tonga,” participants endorsed the Outcome Statement 2025, passed two public Bills, and adopted five significant motions aimed at...
Samoa’s first woman leader is ousted in an election following the collapse of her government
09th September, 2025
[CHARLOTTE GRAHAM-McLAY] Samoa’s incumbent ruling party will return to power with a new leader at the helm after the first woman prime minister was toppled in elections that followed months of political turmoil. FAST, the former political party of ousted leader Fiamē Naomi Mata’afa, will remain in the majority when Parliament resumes in the Pacific Island...
Bougainville election: Record 34 women vie for parliamentary seats
02nd September, 2025
[Don Wiseman] There are a record 34 women candidates in this week’s election in Bougainville. According to the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, more than 238,000 registered voters will vote to elect the president, three women’s representatives, three representatives of former combatants, and 38 single-member constituencies, who together will form the Bougainville House of Representatives....
Five Women win Seats in Preliminary Count of Samoa’s General Elections
30th August, 2025
[30 August 2025] Out of the 26 women who had put their hands up to enter Parliament, five have emerged victorious with solid wins in their respective Constituencies. Five women who secured their seats after the preliminary count on polling day, which means the constitutional 10% will come into effect for one seat. The selection of the...
Six women must be in Samoa Parliament
27th August, 2025
The Appeals Court ruling requires a minimum of six women to be elected to Samoa’s Parliament following the general election if there are 51 seats in parliament. “The Court has already made its decision that there must be six (6) women representatives in Parliament after the general election,” said Electoral Commissioner, Tuiafelolo John Stanley. “That...
Fiame Naomi Mata‘afa’s tumultuous tenure has ended — what’s next?
30th May, 2025
[Asofou So’o & Lagipoiva Cherelle Jackson] Samoa’s Head of State, His Highness Tuimaleali’ifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II, has officially dissolved Samoa’s Parliament, effective 3 June 2025, following the defeat of the government’s 2025–26 budget. This action, taken upon the advice of Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa, signals the conclusion of her leadership and initiates the process for new...