Samoa tops list for female business leaders – PSDI

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – August 2, 2024 – The proportion of women in Samoa’s business leadership ranks well above the global and regional averages. A new report It was released on August 1 by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Pacific Private Sector Development Initiative (PSDI).

Leadership Matters 2024: A benchmark for women in business leadership in the Pacific Expanded baseline established in 2021 Leadership is crucial The report tracks progress in women’s representation as board directors, board chairs, board vice chairs and chief executive officers in 14 Pacific countries.

“new Leadership is crucial The report finds that Samoan women’s representation in business leadership has generally increased since 2021 and continues to outperform the Pacific average across all indicators,” said Sarah Boxall, PSDI’s Women’s Economic Empowerment Specialist and author of the report.

“The strong growth in the number of women in Samoan corporate leadership, particularly at the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) level, points to an increasingly inclusive and diverse corporate culture, driven by a variety of organizational policies, greater family and community support for women’s leadership ambitions, and a cadre of talented and ambitious women rising through the ranks and supporting others to do the same.”

The report shows that the average proportion of female directors in the Pacific region has increased from 21% in 2021 to 26% in 2024, slightly higher than the global average of 23% in 2023. During the same period, the average proportion of female CEOs in the Pacific region has increased from 13% to 20%, well above the global average of 6%. Samoa has also seen an increase in female representation, with the proportion of female directors increasing from 33% to 36% and the proportion of female CEOs increasing from 25% to 45%.

Higher proportion of female directors and CEOs
Samoa, along with the Cook Islands, Kiribati and Tuvalu, has a higher percentage of female directors and CEOs than most countries in the region, while Fiji and Papua New Guinea are the only two countries in the region that do not meet or exceed the regional average on any indicator.

“Myriad global and local influences and social norms continue to shape Pacific women’s leadership aspirations and opportunities, while entrenched gender roles, particularly around care responsibilities, remain a significant challenge,” Ms Boxall said.

“While we celebrate these advances, much of the progress since 2021 has been limited and uneven across countries, industries, and organization types.”

“We must also recognise the persistent gender disparities these figures reveal and continue to work towards equal representation in global and Pacific leadership.”

Although Samoa leads the way in women business leaders, men hold two-thirds of directorships and 16% of boards still have no female directors.

The report is based on data from 397 organizations in ADB’s 14 Pacific developing member countries (DMCs), as well as insights from more than 350 Pacific business leaders gathered through surveys and in-depth interviews.

PSDI is a technical assistance program implemented by ADB in partnership with the governments of Australia and New Zealand. The program supports ADB’s 14 Pacific developing member countries in improving their business environments and achieving inclusive, private sector-led economic growth, including through reforms aimed at women’s economic empowerment.