Laisa Taga
What do these two countries, Samoa and the Solomons, have in common apart from the same first letter in their names?

One: They're going to the polls next month-Samoa on March 31 and Solomons probably mid-March.

Second: There's now a big push from their women to contest the elections.

In the Solomons, 15 have confirmed their candidacy-the biggest number to contest a national election since the country became independent 27 years ago.

They're hoping that this time around they'll have better luck. There've been only two women in the history of the country that have made it into parliament. One political observer there says: “Their chances are unpredictable. So much going against them including custom. If one female MP gets in, it will be a great success for them.”

In Samoa, women have taken an even bolder step. They've formed a political party, the Samoa Christian Party, to contest the election.

The party leader is political veteran Tuala Tiresa Malietoa, the first woman leader of a political party in Samoa. Her main executives are all women.

Like the Solomons, there are a record number of women candidates, although women's representation in Samoa has a much better record than the Solomons, with a woman even in Cabinet.

What do women bring to politics?

Well, as the Samoa Christian Party leader Tuala said in a Radio New Zealand International interview: “We bring in new perspectives and a new and a fresh attitude to national governance and national development.”

Tuala and her new breed of women are part of a bigger push by Pacific women to become equal partners in development and in the decision-making process of their various countries.

They're hoping that getting into parliament will enable them to be heard loud and clear.

So far the Pacific record is poor. According to a December survey on women in national parliaments done by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in 187 countries, Fiji out of ALL the independent Pacific Islands countries has the highest percentage of women in parliament-8.5%. (This is compared to Rwanda 48.8%, Sweden 45.3%-the two countries that have the highest percentage of women in parliament).

Fiji is followed by Samoa 6.1%, Kiribati 4.8%, Vanuatu 3.8%, Marshalls 3%, PNG 0.9% and the rest-Solomons, Tuvalu, Palau, Nauru and the Federated States of Micronesia nil percent-despite the fact that in almost all of these countries women comprise more than 50% of the total population.

While women are fighting for gender equality in all aspects of life-political, social and economic, there's another bigger hurdle to break: perception-how women are perceived.

If a research conducted by an American social psychologist, Dr Peter Glick, is anything to go by, then women still have a long, long way to go.

The result of the Wisconsin psychology professor's study reveals that the sexier a woman dresses and the more prominent a position she holds within a company, the more negatively she's perceived.

“If you play up your sexiness and you're in a more powerful position, you're going to get slammed for it as a woman,” Glick said.

The research was based on a survey of 665 students at Appleton's Lawrence University in Wisconsin. The students were asked to watch videos of a woman in sexy then conservative dress and record their judgements, perceptions and feelings towards her.

Glick found that the sexy attire didn't hurt the receptionist's image. But in sexy clothing the manager seemed less competent and less intelligent.

“The sexy woman stereotype is a bimbo stereotype,” he said. “It can make people think, 'She's not smart, just good looking'. But in the long run showing too much sex appeal can hurt a woman's career.”

Food for thought!

GETTING READY FOR NATURAL HAZARDS The World Bank is coming out with yet another report. This time, it is titled “Not if but when: Adapting to Natural Hazards in the Pacific Islands region.” The 48-page report to be launched this month has highlighted a number of things Pacific countries need to do to reduce the risks of natural disasters and why it is important for the islands to devise comprehensive risk management plans: Pacific islands rank amongst the most vulnerable in the world to natural disasters. Since 1950 natural disasters have affected more than 3.4 million people which led to more than 1700 reported deaths in the region (outside PNG) In 1990 alone reported natural disasters cost the Pacific US$2.8 billion in real 2004 value. The climate trend for the Pacific points to more extreme conditions. The report also highlighted the role of donors suggesting that they need to change the way they do business. “In the past, the ready availability of grant funding for disasters as compared to prevention funds, has created a substantial moral hazard. There is little incentive to undertake risk management of natural hazards (RMNH) if donors always come to the rescue when disaster strikes. “This situation should change. Donors need to provide financial and policy incentives that reward countries which choose to take early action on RMNH.” Keep tuned for more details about the World Bank report.

Laisa Taga is Editor-in-chief, Islands Business magazine.