Deeply embedded cultural blocks hinder progress towards gender equality in Tonga

Petitions and marches against the ratification of the UN Convention for the Elimination of all Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) are showing just how deeply embedded negative attitudes towards women’s rights are within Tongan culture.

Tonga and Palau are the only Pacific island nations that have not yet ratified CEDAW. These cultural blocks are hindering progress towards gender equality.

Kalafi Moala asks, “How do you bring reform to a society that is not only steeped in culture but is also undergirded by unshaken religious beliefs?”

Read the full article on the Pacific Institute of Public Policy website.