Women's Under-Representation and Special Measures in the Tongan Parliament

Baker, Kerryn

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Women's Under-Representation and Special Measures in the Tongan Parliament

Date

2015

Authors

Baker, Kerryn

Publisher

Canberra, ACT : Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs, College of Asia and the Pacific, The Australian National University

Abstract

After the 2014 general election, Tonga now joins five other states (three of which are also in the Pacific Islands region) in having no female members of their lower or single house of parliament. Since Tongan women won the right to vote and stand as candidates in 1951, there have been only seven women parliamentarians — four women elected as people’s representatives, and three appointed to parliament by the king or the prime minister.