Samoa
Legislative Assembly
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Political system
Political systems: Presidential, Parliamentary, Presidential-Parliamentary, Monarchy, Communist, Transitional.
View field in the data dictionary -
Parliamentary system
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Structure of parliament
Structure of parliament: Unicameral, bicameral
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Unicameral
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IPU membership
Current membership status
View field in the data dictionary -
Yes
Data on women
Information on the current and historical representation of women in the parliament. Consult the 'Elections' tab to see how women have fared in elections or renewals.
Current representation
Women's representation in the current parliament or chamber
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Current number of members
Number of members who currently hold seats in parliament. May be lower or higher than the statutory number of members.
View field in the data dictionary -
54
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Women
The number of female parliamentarians who currently hold seats in parliament.
View field in the data dictionary -
7
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Percentage of women
Calculated by dividing the current number of women by the current number of members.
View field in the data dictionary -
13.0%
Speaker
No information available
Secretary general
No information available
Data on age at the start of the legislature
Number of members, by age
| 18 - 20 | 21 - 30 | 31 - 40 | 41 - 45 | 46 - 50 | 51 - 60 | 61 - 70 | 71 - 80 | 81 - 90 | 91 and over | Totals per gender | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | No information available | ||||||||||
| Female | |||||||||||
| Total <= 45: - | Total >= 46: - | ||||||||||
| Age at the last election or renewal | Overall | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - | |
| - | - | - | |
| - | - | - |
Reserved seats and quotas
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There are reserved seats in parliament for certain groups
Reserved seats are a means to ensure the parliamentary representation of certain groups in society.
View field in the data dictionary -
Yes
- Women
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5
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Electoral quota for women
Quotas to promote gender-balanced representation in parliament
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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 )
Sources: Constitution Amendment Act No. 17 of 2013 – An Act to amend the Constitution of the Independent State of Samoa to provide for a minimum number of women members of parliament and to exclude officers and employees of the Attorney General from the Public Service; Constitution, article 44 as amended by the Constitution Amendment Act 2013.
First woman in parliament
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Year of first woman in parliament
Year in which the first woman entered parliament
View field in the data dictionary -
1964
Notes: 1964: NOTE ON MODALITIES UNCLEAR
First woman speaker
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Year of first woman speaker
Date at which, for the first time in the country's parliamentary history, a woman became Presiding Officer of Parliament or of one of its Houses.
View field in the data dictionary -
Not applicable
Notes: No woman has occupied the function of Speaker in the country.
Women’s suffrage
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Date of independence
For countries that become independent after 1940.
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1961
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Women’s right to vote
Year in which women obtained the right to vote. More than one year may be displayed depending on the status of the right: restricted or universal and changes in status.
View field in the data dictionary -
1948
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Restricted or universal suffrage
Suffrage: Restricted or Universal
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Restricted
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Detail of restrictions
Suffrage: Restrictions detail
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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
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Women’s right to vote
Year in which women obtained the right to vote. More than one year may be displayed depending on the status of the right: restricted or universal and changes in status.
View field in the data dictionary -
1990
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Restricted or universal suffrage
Suffrage: Restricted or Universal
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Universal
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Detail of restrictions
Suffrage: Restrictions detail
View field in the data dictionary -
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: 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.
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Women's right to stand for election
Year in which women obtained the right to stand for election. More than one year may be displayed based on the status of the right: restricted or universal and shifts to the status.
View field in the data dictionary -
1990
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Restricted or universal
Stand for Election : Restricted or Universal
View field in the data dictionary -
Universal
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Detail of restrictions
Stand for Election: Restrictions detail
View field in the data dictionary -
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: 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.
Women's caucus
Women's caucuses or parliamentary groups that bring together women parliamentarians to strengthen cooperation and amplify their voices. For other parliamentary bodies or committees that have a specific mandate to address gender equality matters, see the ‘Specialized body – Gender equality’ tab.
There is currently no women's caucus in this chamber.