New Parline: the IPU’s Open Data Platform (beta)
Your one-stop-shop for information about national parliaments

Samoa

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Legislative Assembly

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

Data on women

empty

Basic information > About parliament

Speaker

Speaker
Leaupepe Taimaaiono Toleafoa Faafisi (Male)

Secretary general

Secretary general
Charlene Malele (Female)

Members

Current number of members, by sex
Women The number of female parliamentarians who currently hold seats in parliament.
5
Percentage of women Calculated by dividing the current number of women by the current number of members.
10% 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
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".
171
Notes
Number of seats at stake: 49. One more seat was added after the elections in accordance with Constitution Amendment Act 2013.
Number of female candidates Number of female candidates
24
Percentage of women candidates The percentage is calculated by dividing the number of women candidates by the total number of candidates.
14.04%
Number of candidates, by sex
Number of female candidates Number of female candidates
24
Percentage of women candidates The percentage is calculated by dividing the number of women candidates by the total number of candidates.
14.04%

Results

Members elected, by sex
Number of men elected
45
Number of women elected
5
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.
10.2%
Number of women after election or renewal, by mode of designation
Women Directly Elected
5

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.
45
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.
5
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.
Le'aupepe Toleafoa Fa'afisi (Male)
Political party
Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP)
Date of election
16.03.2016
Elections > Historical data on women

Women's suffrage

Date of independence For countries that become independent after 1940
1961
Women’s right to vote
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.
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
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