Tuilaepa Sa’ilele MalielegaoiSamoa’s new leader, Fiame Naomi Mata’afa, might be the country’s first female Prime Minister, but she is a veteran politician. Her father, Mata’afa Faumuina Mulinu’u II, served as Samoa’s first prime minister over two terms (1959-70 and 1973-75). Under former prime minister Tofilau, she became the country’s first female cabinet minister, holding the education portfolio for 15 years. In 2016, she again broke new ground when she was appointed Tuilaepa’s deputy prime minister. None of which detracts from the historical significance of Fiame’s election.

Source: Otago Daily Times August 04, 2021 16:30 UTC