By Staff Writer
The swearing in of three new women MPs in Parliament on Tuesday fired up leadership advocator, Gatoloai Tilianamua Afamasaga to celebrate.
Her primary goal is to push for more women to contribute to national developments by encouraging them to take up more leadership roles.
Parliament is the ultimate goal as the national decision making body in the running of the country.
Gatoloai is aware of the on going controversy in the women’s 10% representation in Parliament but is not putting too much emphasis on it.
“What the court interprets is a matter for the court, having more women in positions of leadership is the objective and deserves celebration in this case,’ Gatoloai declared.
“As long as there are more women in Parliament I’m happy as an advocator,” she added.
“ I don’t want to be dragged into the debate on the pros and cons of the court ruling.”
Now that the legality of the seats are finally decided, Gatoloai, believes it is time for the women MPs to buckle down to the hard work to prove worthy of being in Parliament.
Major challenges await the new women Parliamentarians starting with staking their leadership claims with their respective constituencies.
“They’re being mocked as MPs without constituencies since they were not duly elected, and this is where they should join up with their respective MPs to serve their voters well.
“Set aside their political allegiances and work as one.”
The two HRPP women MPs are appointed from constituencies represented in Parliament by Government MPs whereas the lone FAST woman MP is from an HRPP constituency.
Advocator Gatoloai believes the onus is on the new women MPs to take full advantage of the opportunity to assert their leadership qualities against established male dominated attitudes.
“The future goal for women is to be elected outright, they have to prove that they too can lead and that not all men have excellent leadership qualities.”
Gatoloai believes, however, that eventually the 10% legislation for women MPs will have to be phased out but only when the numbers are firmly established for fair representation in Parliament.
For now she is happy to see the most number of women represented in Parliament for the first time ever.
But not only would she dearly love to see the number maintained but for women to build on it.
Parliament swore in on Tuesday Alataua I Sisifo MP Ali’imalemanu Alofa Tu’uau, Fagaesealii Sapoa for Aleipata-itupa-i-lalo and To’omata Nora Leota for Anoama’a 2.
The three seats make up the 10% representation of women MPs.