Results for Women

Tonga's Vaiola Hospital sees 40 new breast cancer patients each year, but very few cases are detected early enough, before the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. Breast cancer surgeon, Lord Tangi, this morning begged women to use the early detection facilities that had been available at the hospital for the last four years.

Fifteen girls from different schools took part in a Cyber Safety Co-Design program in Nuku’alofa from July 31 to August 8. The program targeted cyber safety initiatives for young women and girls in Tonga and the Pacific region.

Building their capacity for generating incomes, nine Tongan women were awarded certificates after completed training under a Women’s Economic Empowerment Pilot Project on December 5.

Soloa Fisi, from Patangata was named Business Woman of the Year at the 8th SPBD Annual Business Woman of the Year Awards, in Nuku‘alofa today, 9 November. Guest of Honour, Lord Fakafanua, with SPBD founder and President Greg Casagrande, presented the awards to three finalists who had started businesses cooking for a school canteen, growing foodcrops, and handicrafts making. By Eleanor Gee.

Hundreds of women dressed in their finest white clothes with fancy creative hats on September 26, gathered for their annual 'Faka-Sepitema' roll call at the Church of Tonga.

Thirty-five girls from different schools attended a Camp Glow mission, aimed at empowerment, organised by the Talitha Project in partnership with the US Peace Corps from December 11-14.

Handicraft entrepreneur, Hulita Fevaleaki (47) from Ma’ufanga won the SPBD Business Woman of the Year Award on November 10, for improving her family's life through her small business, using the South Pacific Business Development microfinance program,

Violence, intimidation, control and isolation are being used against women in Tonga by some husbands who are seeking to gain "coercive control". Examples of some of the coercive control situations and real cases in Tonga included a man beating up his wife causing injuries to prevent her from going to an event, locking her up in a room when he leaves the house, calling her "ugly and stupid" or threatening her via text messaging.

A "Let Girls be Girls!" campaign aimed to stop a growing trend of child marriage in Tonga, was launched on Friday, May 19. The campaign seeks to repeal Tonga's law on marriage and lift the legal age to 18-years and over. Currently the law allows children from the ages of 15-17 to marry with parental consent.