Teretia Tokam Explained

Teretia Tokam is a women's and children's rights activist in Kiribati. She is the founding coordinator of the Kiribati Women and Children Support Centre.

Biography

Teretia Tokam graduated with a bachelor of laws from the University of the South Pacific.[1] She then worked as a lawyer at the attorney general's office in Tarawa.[2] While working on domestic violence cases as an attorney, she saw the need for more proactive efforts to combat gender-based violence.

Since then, Tokam has led efforts to end violence against women and children in Kiribati. This has included working to develop the Te Rau N Te Mwenga (Family Peace) Act of 2014 and pushing for better responses to gender-based violence from front-line service providers. She also was involved in the creation of the country's first Ministry of Women and served as the national coordinator on ending sexual and gender-based violence at the Ministry of Internal and Social Affairs. With two others, she co-founded the Kiribati Women Activist Network.

In 2015, Tokam won a scholarship to the Australian National University, where over the course of two years she obtained a master's in applied anthropology and participatory development.[3]

Since 2017, she has served as the founding leader of the Tarawa-based Kiribati Women and Children Support Centre, a community-based organization supporting those facing domestic violence.[4] [5] [6] [7] While there, she helped open a second branch of the center on Kiritimati in 2021.

In 2022, Tokam was appointed to the Pacific Women Lead Governance Board.[8]

References

  1. Web site: 2017-11-25 . Strong Leadership for the New Kiribati Women and Children Support Centre . 2023-04-11 . Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development . en-US.
  2. Web site: 2021-09-15 . From where I stand: "I really want to support women" . 2023-04-11 . UN Women – Asia-Pacific . en.
  3. Web site: ANU Pasifika Australia . 2023-04-11.
  4. Web site: Kiribati Women and Children Support Centre, Kiribati . 2023-04-11 . Australian Volunteers.
  5. Web site: Gibbs . Louisa . Rolls . Sian . 2020-11-25 . From the ground up: Women's groups create new crisis services . 2023-04-11 . Pacific Women . en-US.
  6. Web site: 2017-12-21 . Kiribati to open new centre to those affected by violence . 2023-04-11 . RNZ . en-nz.
  7. Book: Bank, World . Women, Business and the Law 2021 . 2021-04-05 . World Bank Publications . 978-1-4648-1653-6 . en.
  8. Web site: 2022-10-14 . Pacific-led board to drive strategic direction of Pacific Women Lead . 2023-04-11 . The Pacific Community . en.