Samoa has attended the second meeting of the Commonwealth Women’s Affairs Ministers Action Group which was convened virtually and chaired by Kenya's Minister for Gender.

The meeting was held virtually last Tuesday and was attended by Leota Laki Lamositele Sio, the Minister for Women Community and Social Development.

It was chaired by Professor Margaret Kobia, Cabinet Secretary for Public Service Youth and Gender Affairs of Kenya with the ministerial dialogue centred on COVID-19 and gender inequality. 

Leota emphasised the importance of gender equality and highlighted how it will always remain a priority for Samoa over the next 10 years. 

He said the Pathway for the Development of Samoa 2022–2026 outlines social development as one of the key strategic outcome areas with which priority is focused on alleviating poverty for all, improved public health for all, quality education for all, people empowerment and a skilled workforce. 

In the context of the Samoa Government’s COVID19 response and recovery, the Minister said these priority areas are crucial to ensure equal opportunities and access to social services for both men and women.

He said the launching of the second policy for Gender Equality in 2021 was drawn from its commitment to key international conventions and platforms for action including the UN CEDAW, CRC, CRPD, Beijing Platform of Action and the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda; and also as part of the Regional Plan – The Framework for Action for Advancing Gender Equality and the Rights of Women 2018-2030.

Samoa is also embracing gender responsive budgeting with Leota indicating that it will have a significant focus directed at building the capacity of its key social and financial players to ensure the allocation of resources is gender responsive. 

This is even more critical at this time of COVID-19 response and recovery, he added.

Leota concluded by saying that all gender developments for Samoa are directly and indirectly geared towards inclusiveness and the achieving of its national vision of social harmony, safety and freedom for all, driven by work to allow empowerment of communities, building resilience and aspiring growth.  To ensure good gender responsive crisis management, there should be a full engagement of women in COVID19 response and recovery efforts.

The Commonwealth Women’s Affairs Ministers Action Group was established in May 2021 as a mechanism to monitor the responses to COVID-19 and its impact on gender equality and women’s empowerment across the Commonwealth.