Fiji, Sept. 24 -- The role of the tou'a has become a topic of hot debate on Tongan social media spaces after a clip from a podcast caused quite a reaction from several Tongan netizens, most of whom were men.

Back in August, a podcaster and entrepreneur - 'Akanesi Kaufusi released a clip from her Pacific Empowerment Podcast on her social platforms. In the clip she discussed the role of the tou'a in contemporary spaces and dubbed it as a "watered-down version of prostitution."

Kaufusi believes that the tou'a should be banned since women are paid for their services and preyed upon by mostly married men. She adds that women who tou'a are sexualised by men and are present for their entertainment, instead of being respected for carrying out ...