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
editTeretia 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.[1][2] While working on domestic violence cases as an attorney, she saw the need for more proactive efforts to combat gender-based violence.[1][2]
Since then, Tokam has led efforts to end violence against women and children in Kiribati.[2] This has included working to develop the Te Rau N Te Mwenga (Family Peace) Act of 2014[1][2] and pushing for better responses to gender-based violence from front-line service providers.[2] 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.[1][2] With two others, she co-founded the Kiribati Women Activist Network.[2]
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.[2][4][5][6][7] While there, she helped open a second branch of the center on Kiritimati in 2021.[2]
In 2022, Tokam was appointed to the Pacific Women Lead Governance Board.[8]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e "Strong Leadership for the New Kiribati Women and Children Support Centre". Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development. 2017-11-25. Retrieved 2023-04-11.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "From where I stand: "I really want to support women"". UN Women – Asia-Pacific. 2021-09-15. Retrieved 2023-04-11.
- ^ "ANU Pasifika Australia". Retrieved 2023-04-11.
- ^ "Kiribati Women and Children Support Centre, Kiribati". Australian Volunteers. Retrieved 2023-04-11.
- ^ Gibbs, Louisa; Rolls, Sian (2020-11-25). "From the ground up: Women's groups create new crisis services". Pacific Women. Retrieved 2023-04-11.
- ^ "Kiribati to open new centre to those affected by violence". RNZ. 2017-12-21. Retrieved 2023-04-11.
- ^ Bank, World (2021-04-05). Women, Business and the Law 2021. World Bank Publications. ISBN 978-1-4648-1653-6.
- ^ "Pacific-led board to drive strategic direction of Pacific Women Lead". The Pacific Community. 2022-10-14. Retrieved 2023-04-11.