WCCC Condemns Misogynistic Remarks in Parliament, Urges Action on Women’s Representation
The Women and Children Crisis Centre (WCCC) has condemned what it describes as “degrading and mocking” remarks made in Tonga’s Parliament last week in response to motions presented by participants of the 2025 Practice Parliament for Women.
The comments, which dismissed women’s leadership and suggested that their current levels of participation in decision-making were sufficient because some serve as chief executives, have been labelled by the WCCC as evidence of entrenched misogyny.
“These remarks are not just offensive to women – they undermine the democratic principles Tonga has worked hard to build,” said WCCC Director ʻOfa Guttenbeil-Likiliki. “Democracy is not measured by whether a handful of women break through into leadership. Democracy is measured by whether women, across the board, have equal power to shape laws, policies and the future of this nation.”
The organisation welcomed the Speaker of Parliament’s decision to condemn the mocking tone but stressed that stronger action was needed. It reiterated its support for Temporary Special Measures (TSMs), describing them not as a privilege but as a necessary corrective to decades of exclusion from formal political life.
Legacy of Women’s Leadership
The WCCC also pointed to Tonga’s history of women’s political achievement. In 1951, Queen Sālote Tupou III convinced an all-male Parliament to change the law, granting women the right to vote and stand as candidates – decades ahead of many countries in the Pacific.
“To mock women’s participation in Parliament today dishonours the legacy of Queen Sālote’s vision and courage,” Guttenbeil-Likiliki said. “If we could recognise women’s equal right to vote and stand for election more than seventy years ago, surely in 2025 we can recognise their equal right to serve and lead in Parliament without ridicule.”
The Centre stressed that women already hold leadership roles in families, churches, communities and businesses, and that Parliament should reflect this reality.
Calls for Change
In response to last week’s events, the WCCC has called on Members of Parliament to treat women’s proposals with respect and seriousness, urged political leaders to commit to measures ensuring equal representation in the next General Election, and appealed to the public to challenge misogynistic attitudes.
“The time has come for courage,” Guttenbeil-Likiliki said. “The question is no longer whether women belong in Parliament. The question is how much longer Tonga will tolerate a democracy that mocks the very voices it claims to represent.”
