Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi. Photo / Greg Bowker
Samoa's newly re-elected prime minister has raised the ire of Pacific feminists by claiming one female MP in his cabinet is "more than enough".
Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi swore in his 13-member cabinet over the weekend after winning a comfortable majority in the March 4 election.
The leader had an elected
group of two women and 34 men to select from, and said his final mix of one female minister and 12 male in cabinet got the gender balance "just right".
"We have two female members and 34 male members," the often controversial Tuilaepa told Radio New Zealand International.
"So, to have one out of two is 50 per cent. That's more than enough."
But Fiji-based women's rights group Femlink said the prime minister clearly misunderstood the goal of gender equality.
She said the quota should represent 50 per cent of the final cabinet, not just 50 per cent of the women available for selection.
"His interpretation of equality is in this case is very unfortunate," executive director Sharon Bhagwan-Rolls told AAP.
"The goal should actually be 50 per cent of parliament made up of women, not 50 per cent as in one out of two."
She said minimum global targets set by the United Nations aimed for 30 per cent female participation in parliament, with many organisation in Pacific nations working hard to achieve this goal.
"We need women in public positions like these and one would hope that Pacific Island leaders like the prime minister would be leading the way to ensure that these targets are being met," she said.
Samoa's female minister is Fiame Naomi Mataafa, who has responsibility for the justice portfolio.
Ms Bhagwan-Rolls said current figures for political participation among Pacific women were "quite disappointing".
Tonga, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and the Federated States of Micronesia had no elected women, while Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Cook Islands and Marshall Islands had just one.
Fiji had been doing "quite well" before parliament was dissolved in the 2006 military coup, she said.
- AAP
