MISSION STATEMENT
Nurturing a just and peaceful environment for families through the empowerment of women and families.
VISION
MFF has identified the following goals to work toward and they are:
i. To empower women through Legal Literacy (LL) Human Rights (HR), Civic Education(CVE), Transformational Leadership (TRL) and Gender (GR) educational and awareness programs so that they are able to make strategic choices and to improve their lives;
ii. To promote and advocate for more women representation at the policy level especially that of Parliament and the Cabinet so as to ensure that the oppressed and women’s voices are heard in the highest echelons of government and society;
iii. To promote, independence, credibility and transparency as cornerstones to the promotion of women’s and young girl’s and their family's human rights in Tonga;
iv. The organisation will seek to foster and promote all human rights and human development issues concerning minority groups such as women, children and youth, the elderly and those living with disabilities through research, education, services and the dissemination of information to all people and for the protection and promotion of their rights;
v. The organisation will network with other CSOs, the Government, the private sector and the communities to advocate for women’s, young girl’s, children’s and the elderly’s and all people living with disability’s rights;
vi. The organisation will, in all its capacity lobby government for the formulation of policies and Acts dealing directly with Violence Against Women, Violence Against Children, Violence against the Elderly and Violence Against Persons with Disabilities;
vii. The organisation will continue to provide legal advice and counselling to women and families in crisis;
viii. The organisation will continue to lobby for the ratification of Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD);
ix. The organisation will prioritise Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5, Gender Equality and will promote SDG 1, No Poverty; SDG 2, Zero Hunger; SDG 3, Good Health and Well-Being; SDG 4, Quality Education; SDG 6, Clean Water and Sanitation; SDG 8, Decent Work and Economic Growth; SDG 10, Reduced Inequalities; and SDG 16, Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions;
x. The organisation will sought out ways to provide assistance to vulnerable groups such as to the elderly, women and young women and persons with disabilities to cope with and to overcome hardship; and
xi. In its Human Rights works, the organisation will also address and include Human Development Issues and Education such as providing the IELTS examination.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
The Objects of the Society as presented in the organisation's Constitution are:
a) To act as a women’s development and not-for-profit non-government organisation (NGO) or is more known now-a-days as a Civil Society Organisation (CSO);
b) To advance the development of socially and economically just, equitable, safe and a peaceful society for women, young girls and their families;
c) To promote Constitutional rights, the rule of law, access to justice and good governance through training, advocacy, public education, capacity building, research and consultancies;
d) To provide legal and technical advice to civil society on the ratification of conventions, and formulation of gender, fundamental rights and social policies;
e) To work in partnership with regional, bilateral and multilateral development agencies to promote sustainable development to improve the well being and livelihood of all women, young girls and people in Tonga;
f) To further promote the human rights of women and young girls through human development initiatives such as Human rights and gender equality research, civic education, transformational leadership, documenting, publishing and broadcasting of women’s stories and teaching English for students who need to pass the International English Learning Testing System (IELTS) test so as to go overseas for further education, employment or migration. This is a fulfilment of their right to education, work, movement and self-determination.
g) To ensure that the organisation is always headed by a female and that 75% or more of the members of the executive are female;
h) To promote the rights of the elderly and toddlers and those living with disabilities in Tonga through our outreach programs, trainings and projects;
i) To create an environment and a workplace that is accessible and friendly to persons with disabilities such as the provision of wheel chairs and the creation of ramps in the workplace.
*NB: the IELTS test is now a requirement and prerequisite for all students who wish to study in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and in the United States. The MFF is the only institution which offers this test in Tonga and according to Auckland University, we are the first.
ACTIVITIES
A. CURRENT ACTIVITIES
1. Training Topics:
i. Human Rights and Dignity
ii. International Bill of Rights/Human Rights Law – UN Conventions, Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC), Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)
iii. Bill of Rights – Constitution of Tonga, Part 1 (Tohi Tau’ataina)
iv. The Structure of the Tongan Government and Parliament – Constitution of Tonga, Part 2
v. The Land Laws – Constitution of Tonga, Part 3
vi. Democracy
vii. Good Governance
viii. Gender
ix. Peace Building
x. HIV/AIDS Awareness
xi. Transformational Leadership
xii. Dissemination of the Results of the National Study on Domestic Violence Against Women, 2012
xiii. The Family Protection Act, 2013
1. Research
i. Completed the National Study on Domestic Violence Against Women in Tonga in 2012.
ii. Study on the Experiences and Needs of Children Including Children with Disabilities Living in Tonga
(Donor: European Union)
The study started in 2015, the field work in 2017 and the report was launched by the Prime Minister of Tonga, Hon. Samuela ‘Akilisi Pohiva on the 29th October 2018.
3. Social Services
i. Providing in-home services to elderlies. We provide assistance to elderlies through activities of daily living. (ADL) such as cooking their food, washing their clothes, cleaning their house, feeding, bathing, grooming, massaging, talking, transferring of immobile clients etc.
ii. Provide in-home services to children living with a disability ages 0-4. Assist these children with their development. Their living conditions and provides therapy and training for the parents to learn skills and knowledge to help their children.
A. PROPOSED ACTIVITIES
1. CEDAW Awareness Talks
· There will be talks conducted with key people in the churches and the community on CEDAW. First we will go to the nuns and from there we will go to other female Ministers in the other church denominations such as the Free Wesleyan Church.
· We hope that with the support of these women, we may be able to move on to talk to the Church leaders who are the greatest opposition to CEDAW.
2. Lobby
i. Formulation of submissions to Legislative Assembly on the amendment of Acts that are discriminatory to women such as the Lands Act which stipulates that only males can own land in Tonga including the Hereditary Laws.
ii. Informal dialogue with people in the community on the issues that are promoted in this plan.
iii. National Conferences for women throughout Tonga on the issues in this plan.
iv. To promote women's active participation in decision making processes.
3. Conduct more Public Talks or open forums on emerging human rights issues and current discriminatory gender issues in the society.
4. TV & radio programs, Newspaper articles (monthly) and Social Media
Letters to the editor and other News articles are to be submitted to local newspapers for publication and also on our page. The articles will be based on themes that arise from the community that coincide with the Mission, vision and goals of MFF.
TV and radio programs will also be designed to disseminate information from the results of the National Study on Domestic Violence against Women (2012). In addition, programs to promote the United Nations International Days of celebration such as the International Women’s Day, 16 Days of Activism, the Sustainable Development Goals especially Goal 5 and so forth.
5. Publishing
MFF will continue to compile and publish its reports, research, brochures and booklets on its works and the areas in which it works. These publications will be produced solely for the purpose of informing the public of their rights and also of the social norms and behaviours that act as barriers to their personal development and of those that are good for their well-being. The women, young girls, children and youth will be the main beneficiaries of these works.
1. Fundraising activities
There should be an annual fundraising activity for the organisation during the month of May. The fundraising activity should be one that will not pose a burden to the current staff and volunteers of the organisation but should be one that the members of MFF should come to voluntarily and in the spirit of reciprocity, sharing and cooperation. Other members of the organisation and the Board are invited to participate.
There will also still be the search for core funding for the organisation and this will help to strengthen and increase the current capacity and work of MFF.
2. Professional development for staff
An annual retreat for all staff should be held in the month of September and should coincide with the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the organisation which the Constitution of MFF has stipulated for September of each year.
The aim of the Seminar is to strengthen the staff’s stand in their work, further develop relationships between members, to encourage a spirit of empathy for the women and families that we wish to help and to deploy a group of dedicated women who will work with the oppressed women and children so as to help alleviate hardships and poverty.
The staff can also look at strengthening its tools such as this strategic plan.
The preferred time would be for two days in a location that would help bring about a lively, healthy, enlightening and fruitful result to the work of MFF. The key element to this discussion would be the sharing of ideas through free conversation and the sharing of ideas. The facilitators will ensure that the staff and the volunteers agendas are heard and also that the mandate for the organisation are all considered.
Lastly, the program will be lively and will incorporate health activities such as aerobics, swimming and games. The children of the members will be taken care of and events for them will also be on the agenda.
7. Stakeholder’s Awareness Meeting
To meet with stakeholders such as the Ministry of Police, Ministry of Internal Affiars, Ministry of Health and its District Health Centres, Churches, Ministry of Education and Training, the Local Government, other Civil Societies and concerned parties.
