Apia, Mar 22 (ANI): Samoa's newly re-elected Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi has outraged feminist groups in the country by claiming that the appointment of one female MP in his cabinet is "more than enough".
The Prime Minister had sworn in his 13-member cabinet over the weekend after winning a comfortable majority in the March 4 election.
Malielegaoi, who had to chose his cabinet members from an elected group of two women and 34 men, hailed his decision of appointing one female minister and 12 male as "just right".
"We have two female members and 34 male members. So, to have one out of two is 50 per cent. That's more than enough," news.com.au quoted Malielegaoi, who is know for his often-controversial remarks, as saying.
His remarks, however, has disappointed a Fiji-based women's rights group Femlink, who said that the Prime Minister has clearly 'misunderstood the goal of gender equality'.
"His interpretation of equality is in this case is very unfortunate. The goal should actually be 50 per cent of parliament made up of women, not 50 per cent as in one out of two," the organisation's Executive Director Sharon Bhagwan-Rolls said.
She said that minimum global targets set by the United Nations aimed for 30 per cent female participation in parliament, adding that many organisation in Pacific nations are now working towards achieving this goal.
"We need women in public positions like these and one would hope that Pacific Island leaders like the Prime Minister would be leading the way to ensure that these targets are being met," she added. (ANI)
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