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.
Candidate Margareth Tini Parua: One woman defies the man’s world of PNG
09th July, 2012
GREY-BEARDED Simon Parua Kuri, aged about 82, is a revered former ”big man” in politics around Mount Hagen, emerging from a semi-literate traditional background to hold a seat in Parliament for 15 years, and fathering 17 children from his four wives. His daughter Margareth Tini Parua, 48, is a Port Moresby lawyer (with one husband and one child) who is...
Tonga: Impact of Vote of No Confidence on Minister of Education, Women’s Affair & Culture – Hon. Dr. ‘Ana Taufe’ulungaki
09th July, 2012
The Tonga Women and Children Crisis Centre (WCCC) is concerned about the possible negative impact that the upcoming vote-of-no-confidence will have on women’s representation in parliament. “It is a real big shame because under the leadership of the Hon. Dr. ‘Ana Taufe’ulungaki, the Ministry has undergone a series of visionary changes and this has come about...
Selina Matenga Napa wins seat in Cook Islands by-election
02nd July, 2012
This week in the Cook Islands, Selina Matenga has won the by-election for the Titikaveka seat, but this week we will know if the losing candidates will lodge any legal protest.They have until Tuesday to do so. Sixty per cent of chief executive positions in the public service are now held by women. Last week, the successful applicants for the 10...
American Samoa Congressional Candidate Fuala’au ‘Rosie’ Tago Lancaster to contest 2012 elections
01st July, 2012
Former Congressional candidate Fuala’au ‘Rosie’ Tago Lancaster intends to be a candidate again for American Samoa Delegate to the U.S. House in the November general election with the hope to unseat long-time incumbent Congressman Faleomavaega Eni. In a media statement, Lancaster provided details of her motivation to seek the Congressional seat— which has been held by Faleomavaega since 1989. “After the devastation from...
Selina Napa, ‘Aunty Sel’, wins Titikaveka by-election in Cook Islands
28th June, 2012
Selina Napa is “stoked and overwhelmed” after winning the Titikaveka by-election. The people of Titikaveka have chosen their new political representative to be Selina Napa of the Democratic Party. Napa beat her brother Teariki Matenga of the Cook Islands party by a slim margin of 14 votes in the Titikaveka by-election. She received 297 votes, Matenga received 283, and Teava Iro, an Independent candidate, received 104. Napa said even though preliminary...
Radio Australia Interviews PNG Parliament hopefuls: Janet Sape & Dorothy Tekwie
22nd June, 2012
Hopes PNG polls will boost female MPs. Voting in Papua New Guinea’s general election kicks off this weekend and a record number of candidates are hoping to win a seat in the country’s parliament. But politics is a man’s game in PNG and less than four per cent of the 3,400 candidates are women. Radio Australia’s PNG correspondent Liam Fox caught...
Levelling the playing field: female candidates in the 2012 PNG Elections
21st June, 2012
In what might be a world record, 3,435 candidates will contest just 109 parliamentary seats in the upcoming the Papua New Guinea National elections in June. To say there is a paucity of female representation in the Papua New Guinea’s Parliament is a rather massive understatement. There is just one woman in PNG’s Parliament, Dame Carol Kidu, who...