Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development
Advisory Board Members
Name
Country
Ms Kathy Klugman
Australia
Ms Andie Fong Toy
Regional/
New Zealand
Dr Lawrence Kalinoe
PNG
Ms Jane Kesno
PNG
Reverend Sereima
Lomaloma
Hon Fiame Naomi
Mata’afa
Ms Savina
Nongebatu
Fiji
Ms Merilyn Tahi
Vanuatu
Hon Maere
Tekanene
Dr Colin Tukuitonga
Director General
SPC
Natasha Stott
Despoja (Observer)
Kiribati
Samoa
Regional/
Solomon
Islands
Profile
First Assistant Secretary, Pacific Division
DFAT
Deputy Secretary General of the Forum
Secretariat's Economic Governance and
Security programme
Secretary Department of Justice and
Attorney-General
Former Head of the Women’s Division and
Director of the Office of Home Affairs (now
elevated to the Department of Community
Development)
Diocesan Secretary & Registrar Anglican
Diocese of Polynesia
Minister of Justice and Courts
Administration
Immediate past female Co-Chairperson of
the Pacific Disability Forum, former
President of ‘People With Disability’
Solomon Islands
Coordinator of the Vanuatu Women’s
Centre
Minister for Education
Niue
Director General, Secretariat of the Pacific
Community
Australia
Global Ambassador for Women and Girls.
Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development
Advisory Board Members
Andie Fong Toy, Deputy Secretary General of the Forum Secretariat's Economic
Governance and Security programme (New Zealand)
Ms Fong Toy’s extensive experience incorporates research on
Pacific legal issues and working in a civil society organisation
in New Zealand and experience in election observation
missions, encapsulating vast knowledge and understanding of
regional and international issues. Ms Fong Toy served as
Director for the Forum Secretariat’s Political Governance and
Security Programme until 2008. Prior to her appointment as
Director she also served the Secretariat as International Legal
Adviser and Legal & Political Officer. Ms Fong Toy holds a
Bachelor of Laws from the Victoria University in New Zealand and Masters in
International Relations from Deakin University, Australia.
Dr Lawrence Kalinoe, Secretary Department of Justice and Attorney-General
(PNG)
Dr Kalinoe was formerly the Secretary to the PNG Law Reform
Commission until his appointment as Secretary to the Justice and
Attorney General’s Department. He was formerly the Dean of the
Law School. Dr Kalinoe is Chair of the CIMC Family and Sexual
Violence Committee, and is also on the Environment Board of the
Department of Environment and Conservation.
Jane Kesno, Former Head of the Women’s Division and Director of the Office of
Home Affairs (PNG)
After completing a Masters in Social Planning and Development
at University of Queensland, Jane Kesno undertook a range of
community development and research work with NGOs, private
sector and international agencies. From 1985 to 2000 she
worked in the PNG public service, culminating in her
appointment as Head of the Women’s Division and Director of
the Office of Home Affairs (now elevated to the Department of
Community Development) in 1999. She joined the PNGAustralia Law and Justice Sector Program as Gender and Lead
Adviser for Cross Cutting Issues. She left this role to contest in the 2012
elections for the Namatanai District.
Reverend Sereima Lomaloma, Diocesan Secretary & Registrar Anglican Diocese
of Polynesia (Fiji)
Reverend Lomaloma has been active in the Pacific
Conference of Churches and is the Secretary of the Diocese
of Polynesia. From 1991-June 2000 she was the Director
for Women & Culture, Ministry for Women & Culture &
Social Welfare, Government of Fiji. From 2000-2013
Reverend Lomalomo was the Diocesan Secretary &
Registrar (or General Secretary).
Since January 2014 her Ministry covers three
areas/portfolios – Ministry Officer/Curriculum Development Co-ordinator and
Community Engagement. She is a founding member of the House of Sarah and
chairs the House of Sarah Management Committee. Reverend Lomalomo is a
Trustee of the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre and has been a member of their Project
Co-ordinating Committee since 1999.
Hon Fiame Naomi Mata’afa, Minister of Justice and Courts Administration,
Censorship (Samoa)
Fiame entered politics in Samoa in 1985 as the member for
Lotofaga for the Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP). She
has been a Cabinet Minister since 1991 and has held the
Education, Youth, Sports and Culture, Labour, and Women,
Community and Social Development portfolios.
Fiame is the Pro-Chancellor and Chair of the University of the
South Pacific (USP) and is also the Pacific Regional
representative
on
the
Commonwealth
Women
Parliamentarians (CWP) Steering Committee of the
Commonwealth Parliamentarians’ Association. Fiame is an
advocate of women’s development especially in the area of women in politics.
She maintains strong ties with the Samoa National Council of Women (NCW) and
the Inailau Women’s Leadership Network, both of which she has been a
longstanding member.
Savina Nongebatu, Office Manager, People with Disabilities (Solomon Islands)
Savina Nongebatu is the current Office Manager, and
previous President (2005-2011) of People with
Disabilities (PWDSI) in the Solomon Islands. PWDSI is an
advocacy organisation that promotes the rights of people
with disabilities. Savina is also the Co-Chair of the Pacific
Disability Forum, a regional network of which PWDSI is a
member. In 2012 she was given the U.S. Secretary of
State’s Award for International Women of Courage. She
was recognized for overcoming adversity and championing the cause of people
living with disabilities in the Solomon Islands.
Merilyn Tahi, Coordinator of the Vanuatu Women’s Centre (Vanuatu)
Merilyn Tahi has been the Coordinator of the Vanuatu
Women’s Centre since 1994. She was awarded the 'WOMEN
OF COURAGE' award by the USA Government in 2009 for her
work on violence against women and children in Vanuatu.
She was the second Political Advisor in the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs (1990/91), and has also held the positions of
Assistant Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Protocol)
from 1983-1986 and Director for Vanuatu Centre for
International Relations (1986 – 1990). Ms Tahi’s experience
includes the positions of Chairperson of Vanuatu Association
of Non-Government Organisations (VANGO) and President of
Vanuatu National Council of Women.
Hon. Maere Tekanene, Minister of Education (Kiribati)
In addition to her role as MP, Hon. Maere Tekanene has
been Vice President of the Interim Kiribati Women in
Politics Association from 2010-2011 and was Acting
Secretary to Parliament Committees for the Kiribati House
of Parliament from 2006-2007.
Among important contributions to initiatives for the
advancement of women in her career, Hon. Tekanene was
consultant on Gender Equality, Poverty and Education Goals for the first National
Report on the Millennium Development Goals in collaboration with UNDP (2007)
and on the Status of Women and CEDAW with the Pacific Foundation for the
Advancement of Women (PACFAW; 2003). She has also the
Coordinator/Researcher and subsequently Team Leader for Dissemination of
findings for the Gender-Based Violence and Child Abuse Study based at the
Ministry of Internal and Social Affairs from 2007-2011.
Dr Colin Tukuitonga, Director-General SPC (Niue)
Dr Tukuitonga was appointed Director-General of SPC in
November 2013. He has held several leadership positions
across the Pacific and globally, including:
Associate
Professor of Pacific and International Health, University of
Auckland; Head of Surveillance and Prevention of Chronic
NCDs, World Health Organisation, Former Chief Executive of
the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs, Government of New
Zealand. Dr Tukuitonga is the Founding Member of the Niue
Arts and Culture Festival, Pacific Language Weeks
(celebrating 5 Pacific languages) in New Zealand,
Leadership Development Programme for Pacific civil servants in New Zealand.