The Mahuleva Organic Learning Farm Centre celebrated International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024, by hosting a dialogue centered around gender inequality in Tonga’s agricultural sector in line with the global International Women’s Day theme, “Accelerating Women’s Equality.” The dialogue saw the participation of approximately 20 women and 50 men, all of whom are key stakeholders in Tonga’s agriculture sector, including farmers, government officials, representatives from civil society organizations, and members of the local community.

The event shed light on the obstacles women encounter when attempting to become farmers, as well as the opportunities available for men to support and facilitate the smooth transition and engagement of their wives and daughters in agricultural activities.

“If there is one thing that we would like for men to do to support us women, it is to share with us the piece of land that they have and inherit so that we would be able to work more cohesively together.”, said Melesila Weilert, Chairperson of Fo’i Tuluta Social Economic and Environment Development (SEED).

The dialogue served as a platform for the government to gain valuable insight into the challenges faced by women in agriculture and organic farmers on the ground, encouraging fruitful exchanges and discussions on how to address these pressing issues.

POLFN Project Manager, Timoci Nakalevu shares, “Like the six other Organic Learning Farm Centres in the Pacific i.e. Fiji, Solomon Islands and Nauru, POLFN is committed to promoting gender equality within the agricultural sector, recognizing the vital role women play in sustainable farming practices.”

The event aligns with the ongoing Pacific Organic Learning Farms Network (POLFN) Project currently being implemented by the Pacific Community’s (SPC) Pacific Organic and Ethical Trade Community (POETCom).

“In Tongan society, women are traditionally revered as the “queens” of the family and not typically involved in farming, unlike broader practices in the Pacific and globally. Despite this cultural norm, women are increasingly engaging in agriculture. Even though that is our cultural way of living, we support these women in our community, and I hope all communities support them, too”, said Sio Tuiano, a community representative from Kolomotu‘a on Tongatapu Island, Tonga.

The POLFN Project is supported by the Kiwa Initiative, which is a multi-donor agency, funded by the European Union, Agence Française de Développement, Global Affairs Canada, Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), with its regional partners, SPC, Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).