ABC reports Miss Fa'afafine takes its name from the Samoan word for the society's "third gender", which literally translates to "in the style of" (fa'a) "woman" (fafine).
Estimates of the proportion of fa'afafines in the population range from 1 to 5 per cent, and they have been a documented and accepted part of Samoan society since at least the early 20th century.
So'oalo Roger Stanley, who heads the fa'afafine organisation responsible for the September 2 pageant, said the event draws a big audience because contestants do not take themselves too seriously.
