Samoa women

Samoan women already at decision-making table, govt official says

That comes after Pacific women's rights advocates last week claimed women were being shut out of the decision-making process on disaster management.

They said while women were often the first responders, they are not included in official strategies.

But Tolofuaivalelei Falemoe Leiataua, an advisor to Cabinet, said that was not the case.

He said Samoan women were at the decision-making table at local and national levels - "from village councils to the civil service".

Samoan women discuss barriers to political participation

The discussions were hosted by UN Women and UNDP.

In partnership with the Government of Samoa, the Australian Government and local organisations, UN Women and UNDP joined forces to implement the Increasing Political Participation of Women in Samoa (IPPWS) project from 2015 to 2016.

With Phase 1 of IPPWS completed, yesterday’s consultations pursued to ensure Samoa’s women leaders guide the future direction of the programme.