Gatoloaifaana Amataga Alesana-Gidlow

Gatoloaifaana Amataga Alesana-Gidlow is a Samoan politician and former Cabinet Minister. She is a member of the Human Rights Protection Party.

Gatoloaifaana Amataga Alesana-Gidlow
Gatoloaifaana Amataga Alesana-Gidlow in 2013
Minister of Health
In office
24 April 2006 – 21 March 2011
Prime MinisterTuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi
Preceded byMulitalo Siafausa Vui
Succeeded byMagele Sekati Fiaui
Member of the Samoa Parliament
for Fa'asaleleaga No. 1
In office
31 March 2006 – 9 April 2021
Succeeded byMatamua Vasati Pulufana
Personal details
Political partyHuman Rights Protection Party

Gatoloaifaana is the daughter of former Prime Minister Tofilau Eti Alesana.[1] She was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Samoa in the 2006 Samoan general election,[1][2] and appointed Minister of Health.[3] As health minister she advanced legislation banning the sale of tobacco to young people.[4] and managed an outbreak of Swine Flu.[5] She was re-elected at the 2011 election, but not reappointed to Cabinet.[6] In 2012 she supported constitutional amendments requiring that women hold a minimum of 10% of the seats in parliament.[7] In August 2014 she appeared in court charged with one count of issuing insulting words;[8] the charges were ultimately dropped.[9] She was re-elected again at the 2016 election.[10] She lost her seat in the April 2021 Samoan general election.[11]

Gatoloaifaana is married to Rodger Gidlow and they own and run the Savaiian Hotel in Lalomalava on the north coast of Savai'i. She has also been a Director on the Board of the Samoa Tourism Authority. In 2017 she was appointed a judge of the Miss Pacific Islands Pageant.[12]

References
  1. "Samoan election result final". RNZ. 18 April 2006. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  2. "14th Parliament 2006 - 2011, Members of Parliament & Ministers". The Parliament of Samoa. Archived from the original on August 24, 2007. Retrieved 23 May 2010.
  3. "Five new faces in new Samoa cabinet". RNZ. 24 April 2006. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  4. "SAMOA BILL TO PROHIBIT SALE OF TOBACCO TO YOUTH". Pacific Islands Report. 12 June 2008. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  5. "FLU FEARS CLOSE SAMOA SCHOOLS". Pacific Islands Report. 27 July 2009. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  6. "Dumped Samoa minister says she's happy on the back benches". RNZ. 21 March 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  7. "SAMOA PARLIAMENT DIVIDED OVER WOMEN'S SEATS BILL". Pacific Islands Report. 15 March 2012. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  8. "Samoa MP in court for insulting language". RNZ. 7 August 2014. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  9. "Charges against Samoa minister dropped". RNZ. 11 September 2014. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  10. "Samoa HRPP Party Returned In Landslide Election Victory". Pacific Islands Report. 7 March 2016. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  11. Soli Wilson (12 April 2021). "Youngest candidate bests veteran M.P." Samoa Observer. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  12. Nanai Laveitiga Tuiletufuga (6 December 2017). "M.P. Gatoloaifaana a Judge, Tonga secures next Miss Pacific". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 21 June 2021.


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