Days before a court validated her oath of office sworn under a tent to become Samoa's first female Prime Minister, Fiame Naomi Mataafa participated in the first-ever Virtual Leadership Training School for Polynesian women leaders.

Fiame was “a noted participant” of the first time training hosted by the U.S.-based International Republican Institute (I.R.I.), reports the Matangi Tonga.

Sixteen women from Government, civil society organizations and community groups from Tonga, Samoa and Tuvalu participated in the training, the Matangi Tonga said in a 19 July report.

The training held last week, was announced in late June amid the political impasse that was finally ended by the delivery of a court ruling on Friday afternoon.

The Institute works to strengthen political parties because democracies flourish when Government puts citizens first, the I.R.I. said in a 16 June statement.

The success of the Faatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (F.A.S.T.) political party led by Fiame was an important topic of discussion.

“Since 1984, I.R.I. has worked across the globe to strengthen political parties because history has shown that democracies flourish when Governments put citizens first. This is made possible when party platforms and Governments are [on] issues rather than personalities,” the I.R.I. said.

F.A.S.T.’s success as a new political party was an important topic of discussion. 

“In a country like Samoa that is [composed] of two large islands spread across an area five times the size of Manhattan, maintaining a citizen-first Government will be a challenge for F.A.S.T.,” the I.R.I. said.

Samoa was once hailed as the most stable democracy in the Pacific Islands, the I.R.I. said.

“Prime Minister Tuila’epa Sailele Malielegaoi of the Human Rights Political Party (H.R.P.P.) was the second-longest serving head of state in the world, and the H.R.P.P. has ruled since the mid-1980s,” the Institute said.

Tuilaepa faced controversy over the years, including a widely condemned move to amend the Land and Titles Courts (L.T.C.).

 Fiame attends inaugural Republican Institute training for Pacific

Just days before a Court of Appeal ruling validated the oath of office  she took under a tent, Samoa Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mataafa participated in the first ever Virtual Leadership Training School for Polynesian Women.

Fiame was “a noted participant” of the first time training hosted by the U.S.-based International Republican Institute (I.R.I.), reports the Matangi Tonga.

Sixteen women from Government, civil society organizations and community groups from Tonga, Samoa and Tuvalu participated in the training the Matangi Tonga says in a 19 July report.

The training held last week, was announced in late June amid the political impasse that was finally ended by the delivery of a court ruling on Friday afternoon.

The Institute works to strengthen political parties because democracies flourish when Government puts citizens first, the I.R.I. said in a 16 June statement.

The success of the Faatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (F.A.S.T.) political party led by Fiame was an important topic of discussion.

“Since 1984, I.R.I. has worked across the globe to strengthen political parties because history has shown that democracies flourish when Governments put citizens first. This is made possible when party platforms and Governments are [on] issues rather than personalities,” the I.R.I. said.

F.A.S.T.’s success as a new political party was an important topic of discussion. 

“In a country like Samoa that is comprised of two large islands spread across an area five times the size of Manhattan, maintaining a citizen-first Government will be a challenge for F.A.S.T.,” the I.R.I. said.

Samoa was once hailed as the most stable democracy in the Pacific Islands, the I.R.I. said.

“Prime Minister Tuila’epa Sailele Malielegaoi of the Human Rights Political Party (H.R.P.P.) was the second-longest serving head of state in the world, and the H.R.P.P. has ruled since the mid-1980s,” the Institute said.

Tuilaepa faced controversy over the years, including a widely condemned move to amend the Land and Titles Courts (L.T.C.).

Despite this, on 9 April, the H.R.P.P. went into the elections holding 47 of Parliament’s 50 seats, and Tuilaepa proclaimed the H.RP.P. would remain in power.

“By the following Monday, however, opposition party Fa’atuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (F.A.S.T.) had taken a considerable lead, and on May 25 the results were confirmed: for the first time in the 21st century, Samoans had chosen a new political party to lead the Government,” said the I.R.I.

“F.A.S.T. held 26 to H.R.P.P.’s 25 Parliamentary seats, and the party formed just six months before the election was set to take control of Samoa’s Government. That was not the only first. The new Prime Minister that F.A.S.T. vowed to elect was Her Excellency Fiamē Naomi Mata'afa. A woman.”

Women’s inclusion in Government needs to start in political parties; when parties include women in leadership, men and women say they have greater confidence in Government, said the Institute.