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.
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.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | The Journal of Pacific History |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 12 Oct 2024 |