By Sanjeshni Kumar, Pacnews
Niue’s all-women delegation to the Pacific Climate Change Roundtable (PCCR) may not have been planned, but it has become a powerful statement about women’s leadership in climate action.
“It wasn’t intentional,” said Gaylene Tasmania, Deputy Secretary of the Government of Niue.
“We chose people who were very vocal during our recent stakeholder engagement on loss and damage — women working in the villages and professionals in government as well — and it just so happened they were all women. But I’m very happy we were able to come as an all-women delegation.”
Tasmania said the gathering has highlighted the need to combine Niue’s cultural values with hard data to make the case for climate finance.
“As a culture, we’re tuned more to our emotions — our affinity to our families, our environment, our islands. But now we have to translate that into dollar signs — the economic and non-economic costs,” she explained.
“It’s about taking what we know and believe, quantifying it, and speaking the language that unlocks the funds needed to adapt, mitigate, and address loss and damage.”
She believes women have a natural instinct to protect, which is central to building climate resilience.
“As a woman, as a mother, you have this innate sense of responsibility — from conception of your child to nurturing them through life,” she said.
“It is a God-given right and a power to protect your family.”
“Climate change threatens your family and your household, and that flows to the community and the nation. Women in the Pacific carry that drive to ensure their children are safe, educated, and cared for well into the future.”
For Tasmania, one tangible change would be ensuring women’s voices are stronger in decision-making spaces.
“Women lead with emotion, but they balance it with respect, listening, reasoning, and then implementing,” she said.
“That’s the power we have in this work — to shape a resilient and sustainable future for our children and grandchildren.”
She remains confident about the path ahead.
“I’m really positive about the role of women in Niue going forward. Ultimately, it’s about sustaining our countries and our families for generations to come,” she said.
The Pacific Climate Change Roundtable (PCCR), guided by the theme “1.5 to stay alive and thrive,” is taking place at Taumeasina Island Resort from 13-15 August. The PCCR is attended by Pacific governments, youths, civil society, academia, NGOs, and the private sector to engage collectively through the use of interactive activities to share their experiences amongst peers, bolster their networks and utilise the event to initiate new partnership opportunities.
The PCCR follows the Pacific Regional Loss and Damage Dialogue 2025 and the inaugural Pacific Youth Dialogue on Loss and Damage, at the same venue in Samoa.
This story was produced by the Pacific Media Team covering the meetings. Their attendance is made possible with funding support from the Loss and Damage Capability and Capacity (LDCC) Project with the Government of New Zealand.