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Pacific Empowerment
Pacific Empowerment Podcast was founded by a Tongan woman entrepreneur, Akanesi Kaufusi, to uplift and inspire Pacific Island people to take bold action, chase their dreams, and dream as big as they dare. This podcast challenges the limitations of traditional thinking and cultural expectations that often hold our people back. It’s a space to break free from fear, take risks, and rewrite what’s possible - no matter your background or environment. Your situation doesn’t define you. Your vision does.
Pacific Empowerment
Episode 16 - Well-Behaved Women Rarely Make History
In this episode, I dive into the stories of fierce women throughout history - biblical heroines like Deborah, the prophet and judge who led Israel into battle, and Queen Esther, who risked her life to save her people. I’ll also share the stories of world changers like Rosa Parks, Maya Angelou, Malala, and Oprah, along with Pacific women like Queen Salote Tupou III of Tonga, Dame Whina Cooper of Aotearoa, and Hilda Heine of the Marshall Islands, the first female head of state in Micronesia.
These are the women who refused to stay quiet, who broke barriers, who carried nations, and who stood up when the world told them to sit down.
I also reflect on my own journey - speaking up against the faikava and tou’a issues, and breaking the silence on taboo topics in the Pacific community that we rarely talk about. Because change doesn’t come from silence, it comes from courage, even when it’s uncomfortable.
Help us continue making great content for listeners everywhere.
You can watch the video podcast on https://www.youtube.com/@pacificempowerment