Date: 02 Jan 2024
Tonga Voter Perceptions Research
In 2021, BOP supported the Tupou Tertiary Institute ( TTI) to conduct a large-scale research study to explore Tongan voters’ mindsets on the issue of women in leadership. TTI partnered with the Tonga National Youth Congress (TNYC), and 20 students from TTI were guided and trained in their roles as research assistants. The enumerators collected data from one thousand women and men, asking them about their perceptions of appropriate roles and behaviours in family, community, and political life.
One of these enumerators was Seini Vaea, a 20-year-old young woman who was part of the research team for collecting data.
Seini explained that the interview process stimulated a lot of conversation between her and her interviewees. It made her realise the gender imbalances, the struggles that women go through in Tonga and the importance of being courageous when it comes to taking up a leadership role as a woman. Seini was encouraged to be bold, and to be a disseminator of her newly found beliefs about women’s leadership. She describes her involvement in this project as a life changing experience because it shifted her perspectives on the many social norms that obstruct women’s empowerment in Tonga. Upon learning of the many strong women of Tonga who have defied the odds, she shared that,
“Before participating as an enumerator I wasn’t interested in women’s issues and the imbalance of leadership representation and participation between men and women. It was of no interest to me and I felt that it had nothing to do with me as a young woman. My perceptions have since changed and I am now acutely aware of the developments through women’s movements for more inclusivity across all levels: at home, the workplace, church, and community.”
After the research, Seini became determined to pursue law studies as she felt that it would help her have a deeper understanding of the issues of women in leadership. Now – less than two years later – she is studying law at the University of the South Pacific’s Tonga campus. Seini has also become heavily involved in setting up a rugby club for women in her village, Fasi-moe-Afi. Despite never playing a rugby game, Seini ignored the doubts of those around her and continued to train to learn the rules well. Today she is an excellent rugby player. Seini continues to make an effort to influence and motivate her peers on the importance of education and trying new things, whether academic or otherwise.
This change story shows how BOP’s work can influence people in a range of ways, including by involving them in BOP activities, including research. It shows that discussing the issues of discrimination that are attributed to cultural or religious biases, can be better understood when those biases are sensitively pointed out. From a broader perspective, it also reflects the effectiveness of personal approach; that reflections and sharing between people allow for greater understanding.