Factors Influencing The Political Participation Of Women In Lefaga And Falease'ela Constituency In Samoa

The purpose of the study was to investigate the factors influencing women's participation in political leadership in Lefaga and Falease'ela Constituency,Samoa.Many measures have been formulated both nationally and internationally to make it viable for women to participate in political leadership,but the level of women's participation in this field remains low not only in Samoa but the world over.This has remained a challenge in the ascendency of women into political leadership.In the history of Samoa,Lefaga and Falease'ela constituency has never been represented by a woman member of parliament.This qualitative study employed semi-structure interview method for data collection.The participants of the study were selected using a purposive sample technique which focused on the experiences and the knowledge of the participants about the topic.The collected data from interviews were transcribed and analyzed according to the objectives of the study which formulate the main arguments of this research.The study found that women's marital status and level of education influence their participation in political leadership.Women have personal worries and prioritize which is a disadvantage to them,therefore hinders their chances in political leadership.Cultural factors also impeded women's participation in political leadership.The events in society influence people's perceptions about women that continue to confine them in private spheres as homemakers and caretakers.The participants of the study believed that the influence of the village council during election limited women's chances in political leadership positions.Women cannot participate fully in village council even though they are matai title holders;women without matai titles are excluded from standing in the election.The study recommends that the challenges that influence the political participation of women in Lefaga and Falease'ela Constituency should be cooperated and implemented under the Good Governance priority of the District Development Plan.The study also recommends that the District Development Plan(DDP)committee should initiate strategies and workshops to create awareness about political leadership challenges and to educate women on income-generating activities to assist them.The study also suggested possible areas for future research based on the findings.