Another woman CEO adds to Samoa’s International Womens Day celebration

By Lance Polu/

Apia, SAMOA – 07 March 2024 – The appointment yesterday of a woman to head the Lands and Transport Authority, adds to the continuing domination by women of the senior executive roles in Samoa’s public sector as Samoa joins the International Womens Day commemoration that kicked off this morning.

At the moment, women currently hold approximately 43% of senior management positions in Samoa, outnumbering men in public administration, finance services, health, and education industries, with 56.7% of senior executive roles in the public sector held by women.

Cabinet approved the appointment of Sagauga Leilani Miriama Galuvao yesterday becoming the second woman to head the Authority. Galuvao’s predecessor Taatialeoitiiti Agnes Tutuvanu-Schwalger was the first woman appointed to lead the authority for six years and recently resigned due to family obligations.

Sagauga is a graduate of the University of Auckland, New Zealand with a Bachelor of Science and Computers degree and has been the Assistant CEO in charge of the Regulatory Division at the Lands Transport Authority.

Some interesting statistics as Samoa joins the commemoration of the International Womens Day this week.

• Approximately 43% of senior management positions in Samoa are held by women, outnumbering men in public administration, finance services, health, and education industries, with 56.7% of senior executive roles in the public sector held by women.

• Women comprise an estimated 22% of the judiciary in 2019. Additionally, 28.3% of employees in the Ministry of Police Prisons and Corrections were women in the 2019-2020 financial year.

• 33% female representation on Boards of Directors, surpassing the regional average of 23.6% and the global average of 20%.

• 22% of Registered Matai are female, with the majority of traditional villages having active women’s committees. As of 2022, 44% of village representatives were women.

• Three out of twelve cabinet ministers are women, holding key positions such as Minister of Women, Community, and Social Development; Minister of Justice and Courts Administration, and the Prime Minister of Samoa.