News
This page collects stories on developments throughout the Pacific in promoting women in politics. Because many news sites in the Pacific archive their stories after a period of time, we have replicated the stories in full on this page, to keep an archive on efforts and article in the region. We thank all Pacific news colleagues for their contributions in sharing stories on women in politics. If you have a story we have missed, please send it to the PacWIP team on pacwip@gmail.com.
Niue’s O’Love Jacobson to contest Premiership
16th May, 2017
Niue’s former High Commissioner to New Zealand, O’Love Jaobsen, is expected to contest the premiership against caretaker leader Sir Toke Talagi. Opposition members of the Assembly met yesterday to decide on their nominees for both premier and speaker. The 20 seat legislature will sit today for the first time since last week’s election, to vote for...
Jacobsen takes lead in Niue poll
12th May, 2017
Preliminary results from yesterday’s election in Niue show that O’Love Jacobsen has won most votes for the common roll seats. Six common roll seats and 14 village seats make up the island’s parliament. Ms Jacobsen, who has been Niue’s High Commissioner to New Zealand, won 452 votes. Veteran opposition politician Terry Coe is in second...
Niue’s Parliament at least 20 percent women
12th May, 2017
Provisional election results in Niue indicate a boost to women’s representation in Parliament. At least four women have won a place in the 20-seat legislature after the country went to the polls at the weekend. A fifth woman, Maureen Melekitama, is in a tie for one of the 14 village seats. There were two women...
Fifth woman to join Niue’s legislature
12th May, 2017
Niue’s Parliament has now confirmed a fifth woman member will join its 20-seat legislature. Maureen Melekitama’s name was drawn by lot Monday morning local time after a tie counted between her and Makaseau Ioane last weekend for the village seat of Mutalau. She will now replace former long serving MP Bill Vakaafi Motufoou who held...
Palauan Women Break The Political Glass Ceiling
03rd May, 2017
Palauan women have achieved another milestone. After more than 30 years, two women made it to the House of Delegates (HOD) and two won another term in the Senate. So, in the upcoming 10th Palau Congress, there will be four Palauan women joining this political institution which had been predominantly composed of men. In total,...
PNG: 134 women nominate at closing of Election nominations date
28th April, 2017
28th April, 2017. Only 2614 candidates have nominated to contest the 2017 National Election, the official preliminary figures released last night showed. The PNG Electoral Commission had expected 4068 candidates to nominate but at 4.06pm when nominations closed, the remaining 1454 had filled in Form 23 had failed to nominate. Only 134 are women candidates with 54...
Nearly half contesting Niue’s common roll seats are women
25th April, 2017
Nearly half of those hoping to run for common roll seats in Niue’s election next month are women. The provisional roll released on Friday includes what’s believed to be a record 24 candidates contesting the six nationally elected seats, ten of them women. The other 14 seats are elected by majority vote in single-member constituencies...
PNG: Women making their mark in the political arena
11th April, 2017
PORT MORESBY, 11 APRIL 2017 (POST COURIER) — Papua New Guinea men’s mentality of “women don’t belong in politics” has changed, and women are making their mark in the country’s politics, Sir Michael Somare said. He was responding to questions raised during the NBC Press Club interview in Port Moresby. Sir Michael said that PNG...
11 female candidates contest Vanuatu Provincial elections
10th April, 2017
March 21st, 2017. VANUATU has 11 female candidates contesting the four 2017 Provincial Elections this week. The 11 female candidates are running in three Provinces of Penama, Shefa and Tafea while there is no female candidate contesting in Malampa Province. A Women’s Advocacy Group, providing a voluntary coalition role in Vanuatu, told the Daily Post that they...
200 women candidates to contest PNG election
10th April, 2017
4068 candidates to contest PNG election More than 4000 candidates, 200 of them women, have registered their intention to contest the 2017 National Election in Papua New Guinea, which is 10 days away. The Highlands region has registered the highest number of 1719 intending candidates. It is followed by Momase with 1017, Southern with 998...
Wallis and Futuna: Six women among newly elected assembly
27th March, 2017
Voters in Wallis and Futuna have gone to the polls in a territorial election to choose a new 20-member assembly for a five-year term. Nine members were re-elected, including the former assembly president Mikaele Kulimoetoke. Six women were elected, two more than in 2012. Thirty-one electoral lists contested the polls in which much of the...
Practice Parliament for Women Training Manual launched
24th March, 2017
The idea for a Practice Parliament for Women came about as a direct response to the call from women around the Pacific region to be supported, and to have their political and policy skills developed. This initiative drew on the positive experiences reported from youth parliament forums in the region and elsewhere. The Practice Parliaments...