Launch of Pacific Partnership to End Violence Against Women and Girls Phase II: Advancing Our Mission to End Violence Against Women and Girls in Tonga

Nuku'alofa, Tonga — With over 50 attendees in Nuku'alofa, the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA): Women’s Affairs & Gender Equality Division (WAGED), in collaboration with the Pacific Partnership to End Violence Against Women and Girls (Pacific Partnership), proudly announced the successful completion of Phase I (2018-2023) of its comprehensive programme addressing gender-based violence in the Pacific. The announcement also marked the commencement of Phase II (2024-2027), which will continue to strengthen efforts to address gender-based violence across Tonga.

In her opening address, the Hon. Sinaitakala Tu’itahi, Minister of Internal Affairs  in Tonga, said: "As a Government, we recognise our central responsibility in shaping the laws, policies, and institutional frameworks needed to prevent and end violence against women and girls. We are committed to leading this effort through strong governance, accountability, and sustained political will. Yet we also know that no single entity can achieve this alone. Meaningful, lasting change requires a whole-of-society approach. That is why we deeply value our partnerships with UN Women, the Pacific Community, and our development partners - the Australian Government and the European Union - through the Pacific Partnership to End Violence Against Women and Girls programme. Together, we are building a future in Tonga where women and girls live free from violence, with their rights fully protected and upheld.”

The Pacific Partnership brings together governments, civil society organisations, communities, and other partners to promote gender equality, prevent violence against women and girls, and increase access to quality response services for survivors. In Phase II, the programme is funded primarily by the Government of Australia, and the European Union (EU), and jointly implemented by UN Women and the Pacific Community (SPC), in strategic partnership with the Pacific Islands Forum. It builds on the achievements of Phase I (2018-2023) and wide-ranging regional and national partnership and initiatives on gender equality and ending violence against women and girls. 

Co-hosted by MIA, the event in Nuku'alofa shared reflections on the past five years’ achievements and discussed plans for the new phase of the programme with the Ministry. 

Key successes of the past five years have included strengthening responses services with the development and rollout of the National Service Delivery Protocol for Responding to Cases of Gender-Based Violence; supporting the National Planners Forum in January 2024, as well as stakeholder engagement workshops in 2023 leading up to the Forum. These efforts aimed to support the mainstreaming of the National Women's Empowerment and Gender Equality Tonga Policy and Strategic Plan 2019 – 2025; and support to civil society organisations in the preventing violence against women and girls through community engagement, survivor support, and advocacy

Alison Davidian, Representative, UN Women Fiji Multi-Country Office, shared in her address: “As we launch the second phase of the Pacific Partnership to End Violence Against Women and Girls programme, we are proud that our continued collaboration with the Women’s Affairs and Gender Equality Division is informed by the extensive dialogue and shared planning that took place over the past year - and formalised through the Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2023 between the Women’s Affairs and Gender Equality Division and UN Women. This agreement reflects our shared priorities and our commitment to working in partnership for greater impact. Together, this new phase gives us a chance to build on the lessons of the past, scale up effective approaches, and centre the leadership of Tongan women and communities in shaping solutions that are truly local, relevant, and lasting.”

In the new phase, the programme will build on the foundations laid over the past five years, with a strong focus on both prevention and response. This includes providing technical assistance to WAGED to conduct a scoping for the development of a National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Girls, ensuring alignment with best practice standards and national priorities. The programme will also support the development of a GBV administrative data management system which in turn will help strengthen coordination across service providers. To enhance access to essential services, particularly in rural and remote areas, WAGED will lead the delivery of Women's Wellness Community Outreach Clinics across 16 villages during the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign in partnership with other government ministries and civil society organisations, bringing together a consortium of health, justice, and social services directly to communities. Phase II will prioritise ensuring women and girls have access to quality essential services before, during and after emergencies, including through phased trainings and strengthened multi-sector coordination. These efforts aim to ensure a timely, decentralised, and survivor-centered response in both peace and emergency contexts.