Samoa

Legislative Assembly

Political system Political systems: Presidential, Parliamentary, Presidential-Parliamentary, Monarchy, Communist, Transitional.
Parliamentary system
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Structure of parliament Structure of parliament: Unicameral, bicameral
Unicameral
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IPU membership Current membership status
Yes
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Data on women

empty

Basic information > About parliament

Speaker

Speaker
Papali’i Li’o Oloipola Taeu Masipau (Male)
Year of birth
1953
Additional information
Sworn in on 24 May 2021.
See historical data for this field.

Secretary general

Secretary General
Satama Leatisa Uitime Tala (Male)
Notes Additional information about the Secretary General, in particular regarding their term.
Appointed on 20 Oct. 2021.

Members

Current number of members, by sex
Men The number of male parliamentarians who currently hold seats in parliament.
47
See historical data for this field.
Women The number of female parliamentarians who currently hold seats in parliament.
7
See historical data for this field.
Percentage of women Calculated by dividing the current number of women by the current number of members.
12.96% See historical data for this field.

Reserved seats and quotas

Number of reserved seats, by group
Women
5
Electoral quota for women Quotas to promote the representation of women in parliament.
Yes
Compare data of this field.
Notes
Women shall constitute a minimum of 10% of the Members of the Legislative Assembly. This provision will apply to the parliament to be elected in 2016. (Source: https://www.idea.int/data-tools/data/gender-quotas )
Elections > Election results

Candidates

Total number of candidates Total number of people who registered as candidates for election. Does not include people who stood as candidates to become "substitute members".
189
Number of female candidates Number of female candidates
21
Percentage of women candidates The percentage is calculated by dividing the number of women candidates by the total number of candidates.
11.11%
Number of candidates, by sex
Number of female candidates Number of female candidates
21
Percentage of women candidates The percentage is calculated by dividing the number of women candidates by the total number of candidates.
11.11%

Results

Members elected, by sex
Number of men elected
47
Number of women elected
4
Percentage of women elected The percentage is calculated by dividing the number of women elected in the election and the number of seats at stake at the election.
7.84%
Note on the Distribution of seats according to sex
- The data on Samoa was excluded from the monthly ranking of women in national parliaments for May and June 2021, pending the election results. The results were retrospectively updated in August.
- By 27 July, the elections of 44 members, including four women, had been confirmed: 26 from FAST (including three women) and 18 from HRPP (including one woman). However, only the 26 FAST members had been sworn in as at 19 August. Seven other seats remained vacant, pending by-elections triggered by election petitions.
- No women were elected in the by-elections on 26 November. As at 15 December 2021, there were thus 4 women out of 51 members.
- At the close of the final count for the by-elections, the Election Commission invoked the provision for a 10 per cent quota for women and declared two more women elected based on the percentage of votes cast in their constituencies. The Head of State then issued writs of appointment for two women from HRPP, but their swearing-in was delayed by legal challenges filed by FAST.
- On 17 May 2022, the Supreme Court ordered that three new women (instead of two; one for FAST and two for HRPP) be sworn into parliament, bringing the total number of members to 54. As at 14 June 2022, there were 7 women out of 54 members.
Number of women after election or renewal, by mode of designation
Women Directly Elected
4
Women Other
3

New legislature

Total number of men after the election The total number of male parliamentarians in this parliament/chamber following the election or renewal, regardless of their modes of designation.
54
Total number of women after the election The total number of female parliamentarians in this parliament/chamber following the election or renewal, regardless of their modes of designation.
7
First Speaker of the new legislature
First Speaker of the new legislature First name of the Speaker of the new legislature following the election or renewal.
Papali’iu Li’o Oloipola Taeu Masipa (Male)
Political party
Faatuatua ile Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST)
Date of election
24.05.2021
Elections > Historical data on women

Women's suffrage

Date of independence For countries that become independent after 1940
1961
Women’s right to vote
Women’s right to vote Year in which women obtained the right to vote
1948
National or local Suffrage: National or Local
National
Restricted or unrestricted suffrage Suffrage: Restricted or Universal
Restricted
Detail of restrictions Suffrage: Restrictions detail
Only matais and non-Samoan (of European or Chinese decent) men and women who had completed all residence and citizenship formalities had the right to vote
Notes Suffrage: Additional Notes on right of suffrage
Prior to independence, under the administration of New Zealand, women were granted the right to vote, with restrictions, in 1948. This right was extended to universal suffrage in 1990.
Women’s right to vote Year in which women obtained the right to vote
1990
National or local Suffrage: National or Local
National
Restricted or unrestricted suffrage Suffrage: Restricted or Universal
Universal
Detail of restrictions Suffrage: Restrictions detail
Between 1948 and 1990, only matais and non-Samoan (of European or Chinese decent) men and women who had completed all residence and citizenship formalities had the right to vote
Notes Suffrage: Additional Notes on right of suffrage
Prior to independence, under the administration of New Zealand, women were granted the right to vote, with restrictions, in 1948. This right was extended to universal suffrage in 1990.
Women’s right to stand for election
Women's right to stand for election Year in which women obtained the right to stand for election
1990
National or local Stand for Election: National or Local
National
Restricted or unrestricted suffrage Stand for Election : Restricted or Universal
Universal
Detail of restrictions Stand for Election: Restrictions detail
Between 1948 and 1990, only matais and non-Samoan (of European or Chinese decent) men and women who had completed all residence and citizenship formalities had the right to vote and stand for election
Notes Stand for Election: Additional Notes on right to stand for election
Prior to independence, under the administration of New Zealand, women were granted the right to vote and stand for election, with restrictions, in 1948. This right was extended to universal suffrage in 1990.
First woman in parliament
First woman in parliament Year in which first woman entered parliament
1964