White Ribbon Day is an opportunity for men all over the world, including Tonga, to join together in renouncing violence against women and girls, by wearing a ‘white ribbon' as a symbol of hope for women and girls of violence abuse. Observing such a cause, is a recognition that men and women are working collaboratively to address gender-based violence in all different forms.
Tonga is on its fifth year in observing this worldwide challenge, and working hard to ‘break the silence' and eliminate this brutal violation and discrimination against its women and mothers.
Held at the Queen Salote Memorial Hall, the Tonga White Ribbon Day was keynoted by the guest of honor for the Day, the Australian High Commissioner to Tonga and Australian Ambassador for White Ribbon, His Excellency Mr. Thomas Roth.
His Excellency was later joined by the Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, the Hon. Lord Tu'i'afitu, and Mr. Drew Havea, in the launching of the 16 Days of Activism by symbolically unwrapping the bows of a White Ribbon that holds the campaign programs, signifying the official opening of a '16 days of Activitism', from November 25 to December 10.
Pacific women are no exception to victims of domestic violence as happened elsewhere worldwide, and this issue is often seen as a private issue between partners. The general attitude is that it is not a crime, but an integral part of the relationship between couples.
Tonga's Acting Police Commissioner, Commander Taniela Faletau, one of the key speakers for the day, emphasized that, ‘let it be clearly known that violence and violence against women is a crime, it is not a private issue, but rather an issue for the whole community that requires communal commitment including the Police."
The Tonga Police Statistics shows that there is significant increase in domestic violence related complaints since 2007 (116 cases), to 586 cases (2010) and just over the past nine months (January-September 2011) , already there were 244 reported complaints.
A total of 1,691 domestic related crimes were reported (August 2007 - September 2011), when the Tonga Police Domestic Violence Unit was set up in September this year.
What is worst is that in 2009, five lives (4 women, 1 child) were lost, as a result of family domestic violence.
"The challenge for us today is ‘how many more victims and lives lost before we make the commitment to eliminate/stop gender-based violence, especially violence against women,'" urged Commander Faletau.
The disturbing part of the statistics is that the majority of these women victims were assaulted in the domestic environment -‘the home, where they live.' The challenge is for the men - whether to commit to making their homes more safer and happier environment.
The challenge is for fathers, older brothers, uncles and everyone to make the commitment to demonstrate or display non-violence behaviors and create a non-violence peaceful environment.
In Tonga, many reasons and excuses for men's reluctancy to committ to the elimination of violence against women is the attitude and thinking that it is a cultural norm to solve violence with violence.
It should be clear that there is nothing in the Tongan culture that allows or tolerates violence against women, in fact it is the opposite. Tongan culture upholds the highest respect for women then most countries in the world, as it evident in the Tongan social structure or order, women holds the highest position of respect, for mothers, daughters and sisters in the family.
The Taskforce in Violence Against Women, the Women's Affair Unit (MEWAC), Women & Children Crisis Center, and many Non-government organizations and associated stakeholders should be applauded for their continued comitment and efforts.
ENDS
Issued by the: Ministry of Information and Communications, Nuku'alofa, 2011.
