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.
Women in Political leadership welcomed
09th June, 2014
Fiji’s National Federation Party president Tupou Draunidalo says it is encouraging to see more Fijian women in leadership position ahead of the September 17 election. She says it gives women confidence and it is a positive development for all Fijian women. “It’s a very good thing for all Fijian women,” she said. “It gives them incentive and confidence...
Fiji’s Action plan for Women making progress
09th June, 2014
The ‘Women’s Plan of Action’ has contributed positively towards women representation at all levels of decision making in Fiji’s rural communities. Designed to develop the potential of women around the country in areas related to social, political and economic growth, the ‘Women’s Plan of Action’ or WPA is producing results. The Minister for Women Dr Jiko Luvenisaid WPA has five areas...
Australia’s Julie Bishop and Natasha Stott Despoja discuss women’s empowerment
06th June, 2014
A group of 11 journalists from Pacific Island countries met Australian politicians and business leaders last month as part of a professional development program. The Asia Pacific Journalism Centre hosted the program and focused on news media and the role of women in the economy. Australia Awards fellows studying journalism met with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Hon Julie Bishop and...
PNG names woman candidate for top Pacific post
04th June, 2014
High flying Papua New Guinea woman, Dame Meg Taylor, is the country’s nominee for the post Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Secretariat. Prime Minister Peter O’Neill said Dame Meg had a wealth of experience and knowledge that spanned 20 years in active service to the Government of Papua New Guinea. Her father...
Fiji NGO women leaders discuss about gender injustice, NCDs and political upheaval
28th May, 2014
NGO Women leaders attended a two day forum in Suva on 22-23 April, to discuss the role of women in relation to ‘Rethinking Development, Reshaping the Pacific We Want – Beyond 2015′. The discussions centred on how to progress the re-thinking agenda and influence the Post 2015 development goals after the expiry of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)...
More women is the key to cutting corruption, says Australian MP
27th May, 2014
IN THIS heady age of grimy corruption revelations, thanks to the ICACmerry-go-round, it’s good to know there’s a simple answer to end corruption in politics. That is, to get more women elected Australia-wide, according to Lennox Head-based NSW Upper House MP Catherine Cusack. Ms Cusack has just been elected to chair the Commonwealth Women’s Parliamentary Steering...
Cook Islands’ July 2014 snap election has left potential women candidates behind
22nd May, 2014
A regional women’s organisation says the hurried timing of the elections in Cook Islands has left potential women candidates behind. Last month, Prime Minister Henry Puna called a snap election amid opposition claims he was to lose a vote of no confidence in parliament. Cook Islanders will go to the polls on July 9 and registrations have now closed. Alexis...
Australia has gone backwards on women in politics: MP Katy Gallagher
02nd May, 2014
Chief Minister Katy Gallagher says Australia has gone backwards on female participation at the highest levels of politics and decried the perception that leadership is a man’s game. Addressing the annual YWCA breakfast on Tuesday, Ms Gallagher said the lack of senior women in politics around the country was unsatisfactory and that a period in...
Disappointment at low number of women elected in Niue
16th April, 2014
A former MP in Niue says it’s disappointing the general elections saw no increase in the number of elected women to parliament. The top two pollers in the common roll, Stanley Kalauni, and Toke Talagi, the premier since 2008, are continuing to lobby for support to determine who will become the next Premier. Former MP Esther Pavihi,...
UN Vanuatu to ecourage more women into political leadership
11th April, 2014
A United Nations advocate says Vanuatu women have one of the lowest levels of participation in political leadership. Dr Rosina Wiltshire visited Port Vila recently to run a workshop and told our correspondent Hilaire Bule that women’s rights are still not fully recognised in Vanuatu. ROSINA WILTSHIRE: This workshop is designed to strengthen women’s participation in political leadership and build their capacity to...
Tonga’s Queen Nanasipau‘u Welcomes Women’s Parliament
09th April, 2014
Tonga’s first Practice Parliament for Women is a crucial milestone and marks a very positive step forward for Tonga, said Queen Nanasipau’u Tuku’aho in opening the event today, April 7, in Nuku’alofa at the Faonelua Convention Centre. This was “a historical day for the people of Tonga but in particular a joyous day for women,” the Queen told 30-women representatives, who were selected...
New map shows progress for women in politics, but glass ceiling remains firm
13th March, 2014
A global map of women in politics launched Tuesday by UN Women and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) showed that while progress on women’s political participation continues to be largely positive across the world, glass ceilings remain firmly in place for women at the highest levels. “The Women in Politics Map 2014,” which presents the latest data on women in executive government and in parliament, reveals similar regional trends in women’s representation in both spheres, with the Americas, Europe and Africa outperforming the Arab, Asia and Pacific regions. “Every election is a critical opportunity to make progress towards the increased participation of women as voters and as candidates,” said John Hendra, deputy executive director of UN Women, at a press conference here in the UN headquarters in New York,while launching the Map and IPU’s Women in Parliament 2013 study. “This map shows the value of having data, of being able to measure and track women’s political participation over time. It’s a great tool for benchmarking progress and for ensuring accountability,” he said. The Map shows that in executive government, the percentage of women in ministerial posts has now reached 17.2 percent, up from 16.1 percent in 2008. By Jan. 1 this year, there were 36 countries with 30 percent or more women ministers, a jump from 26 in 2012. With 14 women in such posts, Nicaragua heads the global table of women in executive government, followed by Sweden, Finland, France, Cape Verde and Norway. The data on women in politics also sheds light on the progress made for women in parliament. The annual IPU study shows that the percentage of women MPs is now at a record high of21.8 percent globally with numbers growing every year. There are also 46 countries with more than 30 percent of women MPs in at least one chamber, up from 42 in January 2013.The trend, if continues, would bode well for women’s political participation in the future. “More women are now in politics and influencing the political agenda at higher levels. That is clear. But not at the very highest level,” said Anders B. Johnsson, IPU Secretary General, at the press conference. IPU is an international organization that brings together the representatives of parliaments of states. The IPU is the focal point for worldwide parliamentary dialogue and works for peace and cooperation among peoples with a view to strengthening representative institutions. Another positive trend highlighted in the IPU-UN Women Map is that while the traditionally “soft” portfolios such as social affairs, education or women’s affairs continue to be most common among women ministers, more women are now holding some of the so-called “hard” ministerial portfolios such as defense, foreign affairs and the environment. In sharp contrast to these more positive figures and trends is the slight decline or stagnation of figures on women Heads of State/Heads of Government and women Speakers of Parliament. Since 2012, the number of women Heads of State or Heads of Government has decreased slightly from 19 to 18. The Americas is the region with the largest number of women at the highest political level with six Heads of State or Heads of Government. The Pacific is the only region without women in these positions. Meanwhile, the percentage of women Speakers of Parliament has barely risen from 14.2percent in 2012 to 14.8 percent in 2013. In comparison, the percentage of women Deputy Speakers of Parliament is significantly higher at 26.5 percent, suggesting that this is often the glass ceiling for women MPs. “Some leaders have broken the glass ceiling for women through their own personal vision and political will. They have shown the critical importance of political leadership in effecting change. We now need more leaders to show the same political courage,” said the IPU secretary-general. Read the 2013 Global Gender Gap Report: http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GenderGap_Report_2013.pdf (World Economic Forum) [Source: http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90777/8562840.html]