By Mataeliga Pio Sioa
The ‘Fautasi o Toa’ is rowing beyond the novelty of women competing in a longboat race, when it lines up this Friday at the St. Joseph’s College Anniversary celebration event.
Fautasi or longboat racing is a traditional sport for men and it will be the first time an all women’s boat will compete against them.
Champion skipper Vaimasenu’u Zita Martel is the inspirational leader who is heading the challenge in a sport where she has already made her mark.
How the ‘Fautasi o Toa’ will do against the men of St. Joseph’s College in four other longboats/fautasi goes beyond how they place at the finishing line.
The bigger longterm goals it hopes to highlight are women’s rights and domestic violence.
Skipper Vaimasenu’u made that clear today on the black sand beach infront of the seawall section at Tamaligi.
The Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, was there this afternoon also to lend his support.
He added a few quips about how it will look for the men if they lose the race to the ‘Fautasi o Toa.’
Giving the women crew more inspiration is the full backing of the United Nations Development Programme’s COVID-19 Response and Recovery Project.
The UN and European Union’s Spotlight Initiative is also on board to highlight the surge in domestic violence cases by joining up with skipper Vaimasenu’u and her crew.
The UNDP Resident Representative, Jorn Sorensen, fired up the women’s winning resolve by commending the “example of using traditional sports as a vehicle to address the issue of domestic violence.”
Sorenson showed concern at the spike in domestic violence during the COVID-19 lockdown period and the “gender biases that continue to discriminate against and prevent women and girls from reaching their full potential.”
“The fact that the longboat is made up entirely of women, and captained by a champion female skipper, and competing with the men in the same competition under the same rules, sends a strong message that women’s equal participation, and leveling the playing field for both men and women, is very much possible,” Sorensen said.
The Head of State Tuimaleali’ifano Va’aleto’a Sualauvi II and Masiofo Fa’amausili Leinafo attended along with the Member of the Council of Deputies, Le Mamea Ropati.
The St. Joseph’s College fautasi race is the main fun sporting event to celebrate the school’s 70th anniversary.
