Women in Samoa have set an example for the world to follow. It is very positive that our women have been recognised internationally for being a business success.

A new report published by the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB’s) Pacific Private Sector Development Initiative (PSDI) shows that the proportion of women in business leadership in Samoa is well above the global and regional average.

The report titles ‘Leadership Matters 2024: Benchmarking Women in Business Leadership in the Pacific’ expands on the baseline established in the 2021 Leadership Matters report to track advancements in women’s representation as board directors, board chairs, deputy board chairs, and chief executive officers across 14 Pacific countries.

According to the report, the average proportion of women directors in the Pacific rose from 21 per cent in 2021 to 26 per cent in 2024, just above the 2023 global average of 23 per cent.

During the same period, the average proportion of women CEOs in the Pacific rose from 13 per cent to 20 per cent, well above the global average of 6 per cent. The representation of women also grew in Samoa, where the proportion of women directors rose from 33 per cent to 36 per cent and the proportion of women CEOs rose from 25 per cent to 45 per cent.

This strong growth of women in business leadership in Samoa, particularly at the chief executive officer (CEO) level, points to an increasingly more inclusive and diverse corporate culture. driven by a mix of organisational policies, greater family and community support for women's leadership aspirations, and a cohort of talented and ambitious women rising through the ranks and supporting others to do the same.

Women head most government ministries. At the academic level, more women graduate. In a recent Facebook post, the chief executive officer for the Ministry of Education Aeau Christopher Hazelman said the ratio of women teachers to male teachers was five to one. He added that at the university intake women outnumbered men two to one and at graduation three to one.

Even in the science, mathematics and information technology sectors, there are now more women.

While Samoa is a leader in the representation of women in business leadership, men hold around two out of every three director positions and 16 per cent of boards still have no women directors. This is similar to women’s representation in politics.

The Speaker of the House Papalii Lio Masipau summed up this scenario. He said this was because of the matai system which failed to empower women and this is seen by the lack of women in village councils.

Perhaps the success of women leaders in business brings about a change. The ADB has recognised the contribution of women to the Samoan economy and this translates to all sectors. There needs to be more women on boards and at the director level. These appointments should not be made just for the sake of bringing about gender equality but done on merits and many women in Samoa qualify to be on various boards.

Accordingly, the meaningful participation of women in national, local, and community leadership roles has become an important focus of global development policy. Still, some may ask why it matters if women become political leaders, elected policymakers, or civil society activists. Why does the world need more women involved in all aspects of the political process? Women's political participation results in tangible gains for democracy, including greater responsiveness to citizen needs, increased cooperation across party and social lines, and a more sustainable future.

Women’s participation in politics helps advance gender equality and affects both the range of policy issues that get considered and the types of solutions that are proposed.  Research indicates that whether a legislator is male or female has a distinct impact on their policy priorities. There is also strong evidence that as more women are elected to office, there is a corollary increase in policy making that emphasises quality of life and reflects the priorities of families, women, and children.

If women are successful in business, they will also make excellent political leaders. Perhaps one of the two political parties will see a need to have more women candidates for the next election.

Kudos to all those women in business leadership who have helped put Samoa above other countries.