Gender and Political Leadership in Samoa: Fiame Naomi Mata‘afa and the 2021 Election

Abstract

The election of Fiame Naomi Mata‘afa to the office of prime minister of Samoa has attracted attention on the grounds that it represents a victory for women across the Pacific region. But there is limited gendered analysis of her campaign and the highly contested formation of government process that followed. We fill that gap. Drawing on a range of empirical material, including interviews with Fiame, we argue that while her win was unequivocally one for women, she was not elected because she was a woman. We acknowledge that gender had some significance for the way she mobilized support, but find that her traditional status, experience, and the salience of the issues on which she campaigned were much more important in the minds of voters. These findings matter because the disjuncture between the dynamics of domestic politics and international commentary can be perceived as reinforcing the claim that a feminist agenda is being ‘imposed’ by outsiders.