Pacific Women MPs Share The Push For More Representation In ParliamentsLouis CollinsLast week, 29 women parliamentarians from 14 Pacific jurisdictions traded their own legislatures for New Zealand's Parliament in wintry Wellington. The gathering comes as Pacific nations continue to grapple with the barriers preventing more women from entering politics. Ignoring New Zealand and Australia, women make up just 7.7 percent of MPs across Oceania, compared with a global average of 27.6 percent. Among those attending was Lenora Qereqeretabua, assistant minister and deputy speaker of Fiji's parliament. Ruta Baabo Manate, meanwhile, one of just four women MPs in Kiribati's parliament, said her country's geography creates an additional challenge for women seeking elected office.