This story appeared in Islands Business, a regional publication distributed in 22 island countries, this month. Written by Cook Islander Lisa Williams-Lahari, the story explores the changing landscape of Cook Islands politics as more women step up to the challenge of leading the country.

Following the disappointment of the 2010 elections for those hoping to see more women take to the Parliament floor of the Cook Islands, 2012 has been a year of hope rising for the gender agenda.

Following on from her win at the by-election in June, young mum and national sports rep Selina Napa has become the newest Cook Islands MP. She will join long-time politician ‘Aunty’ Ngamau Munokoa on the Opposition benches later this year.

Shortly before that, Prime Minister Henry Puna had announced the appointment of Cook Islands Red Cross general secretary Niki Rattle as the new Speaker of the House.

Also in Parliament, PM Puna tabled an Employment Relations Bill seeking six weeks of paid maternity leave for private sector mothers – bringing 75 percent of the country’s working mums on the same benefits as their public service colleagues.

Outside Parliament, paramount chief Margaret Karika Ariki broke the stranglehold by men on the highest honours year after year on the Queen’s awards list. She made history as the first ever recipient of a Dame of the British Empire. While the Cook Islands has maintained a trend of keeping its knighthoods strictly for former prime ministers, the move away from that has signified a government willing to break the mould and start again.

However, when it comes to temporary special measures or TSMs for women in politics, that is not a government priority even though it could have an interested opposition to give them the numbers needed to push through a constitutional amendment.

Asked if TSMs would be on the agenda for future consideration by his cabinet, the prime minister repeated what he said two years ago: he would not be forcing a change in what he sees as a level playing field. He says a ”cultural shift“ needs to happen before reserved seats enforcing balance in parliament is ”worth a go“.

For opposition leader Wilkie Rasmussen, the win of the young Titikaveka mum at the polls as June ended could well catalyse the cultural shift both leaders are looking for. The historical debut for a woman in that electorate is making voters sit up and question culture, politics, and women’s place in both.

”Before Napa entered politics, she was a bit nervous because she was a woman. Wigmore and all the members before him were not just men, they were men of standing in the community,“ says Rasmussen.

He says after opening up conversations amongst the party faithful on having a partner for Aunty Mau in Parliament, emails of support from women in the Titikaveka electorate began coming in. He knew he was on to something, ”but I knew not to interfere, I had to leave it to the women of Titikaveka to decide for themselves and support Napa’s nomination through the party processes.“

Distancing himself from the voter debates on nominations for the party also ensured his overall hope for peace and unity to prevail. From previous elections, Rasmussen has seen that when three or four want to stand from the same side and the winning nominee loses anyway, those supporters who did not stand are likely to defect to the other side and become their nomination in the next election.

So what energy will this former globe-trotting, gold-winning national netballer, a daughter of former MP and cabinet member, the late Dr Teariki Matenga, bring to Cook Islands politics?

Apart from her family influences and involvement, Napa brings in an individual strength and her network from her sports, church and community work.

Her opposition leader also hopes to see some of the no-nonsense focus to the issues which Napa has picked up from raising a young family, and feels her insights will help the watchdog side of the house focus on issues surrounding families.

”She’ll help break down the stereotype around politics as men’s work. When men do politics, there is a lot of aggression and argument for its own sake. When women are in the room, there is more of a focus and peace to the work. She also brings in the new generation and is a voice for our times,“ says Rasmussen.

For Napa, the work of representing her people begins now. She says she spent years observing her politician dad at work amongst the same people she now represents, and his core values will guide her work even as she becomes the poster child for a modern, Cook Islands electorate still in touch with its traditional values.

She will have no easy task towards her first general elections. Her win in what has been a safe seat for the Democratic Party was no landslide, but it withstood jibes over what an opposition MP and a woman at that, could possibly hope to achieve when it came to making progress (usually associated with the government of the day) happen.

Rasmussen is taking a slowly, softly approach to turning that attitude on its head. ”As a party, we are giving more importance to new faces, new voices in the political system, and I feel this will eventually change the shape of governance and politics in the future.

”I’m positive this new spirit will also come into reshaping attitudes against women in politics as we look towards the next election.“

Awareness aimed at voter perceptions of women as political leaders will help deal with attitudes, says Rasmussen. Strengthening inclusion of women and youth in decision-making is part of the plan.

”It’s nearing the time when the old guard, us, will give way. We need to ensure the new generation is ready to take over,“ says Rasmussen.

But the fast track measures allocating reserved seats especially for women are still meeting resistance at all levels, with optimists saying it’s all about public discussion and awareness.

On TSMs, the opposition leader and prime minister are poles apart.

Puna has repeatedly said he will not change the political system allowing specific representation of women in what he views as an equitable and level voting system.

He doesn’t have a woman in his cabinet despite his party’s campaign promise that the option of an appointed cabinet minister from the private sector would be used to bring in someone to represent and advise on gender issues.

He points out that gender advances in 2012 are proof aplenty that his government is walking the talk on women in leadership.

The latest three-year contracts for heads of ministries (HOMS) in 2012 have a record of six women as HOMS. Legislation covering maternity leave for working mums is before the House and the inaugural Dame-hood could open the way for more women-Knights of the realm.

However, for those wanting a significant rather than incremental change, the need to rethink political representation and open up the geographical electoral system is still paramount.

Across the Parliament floor, the prime minister’s nemesis, a former New Zealand-based journalist, is more open and comfortable with talk of special measures than most of his Parliamentary colleagues.

Rasmussen notes that in his island electorate of Penrhyn, the all-male island council has discussed a proposal for a reserved post for women. So far, it has failed to gain support.

”They haven’t supported it. But the idea has been planted, so perhaps one day in the future, it will be approved. The point is, we have started the conversation.“

”My mother’s generation were only good at speaking in the house, as per our Maori traditions. Perhaps, this will give way soon in the world of politics, so that women can have more space. I do believe that.“