Tonga addresses gender imbalance in parliament

Tonga held its first ever Practice Parliament for Women on 10-11 April at the Fale Alea - Legislative Assembly - in Nuku’alofa. With the upcoming general election in November, it was the opportunity to encourage female participation in politics and to come together in a near reality parliament to discuss issues affecting women. Tonga has only ever had seven women MPs in the past 100 years. The Practice Parliament identified and encouraged women to join and showcase their talents and capabilities as potential national leaders. With 30 seats allocated, sessions were broadcast live on radio and covered on national TV. They increased women´s awareness of their role in a participatory democratic system and encouraged a better understanding of parliament’s lawmaking role, its procedures and processes.

We invite our users to read the full article published April 14 2014