Australia has invested over $3 million to support non-government organisations, national education providers and the Tonga Electoral Commission in ensuring fair elections, regardless of gender.
A highlight of this funding is the first Practice Parliament for Women in Tonga, launched by Her Majesty Queen Nanasipau'u Tuku'aho on 7 April 2014. The Practice Parliament was designed to encourage women to become more interested and active in politics, particularly with the upcoming national elections scheduled for November 2014.
Tonga is a constitutional monarchy and has undergone a process of significant democratic reform in recent years. The first-ever democratic elections were held in 2010, however of the 11 female candidates, which included a previous Government Minister, none managed to secure a seat. To date there have been only seven female members of Parliament in Tonga, of whom four were elected and three directly appointed by the Prime Minister of the time.
The Practice Parliament ran from the 10 -11 April 2014 and was attended by 30 women selected from 91 applicants representing all island groups across the Kingdom.
Interest in the Women's Practice Parliament exceeded expectations with 31 participatory public hearings and meetings across Tonga, numerous talk-back radio programmes and a high volume of social media activity throughout February and March 2014, in the lead up to the event.
During the opening ceremony of the Women's Practice Parliament, Her Majesty spoke of how impressed she was at the high level of interest from potential participants and commented that she looked forward to following the progress of both the Practice Parliament and women who decided to contest the November elections.
The Women's Practice Parliament will set the pace for continuous training for women on election campaigns and mentoring in preparation for this year's national election.