Gatoloai Tili Afamasaga Explained

Gatoloai Tili Afamasaga
Nationality:	Samoan
Awards:	Krishna Datt Award for Excellence in Trade Unionism and Leadership in the Pacific, 2016
Education:	Victoria University of Wellington Christchurch Teachers' College Macquarie University

Gatoloaifa’aana Tilianamua Afamasaga (born 5 May 1947) is a Samoan educator. She has been active in teaching and teacher training for over 40 years. In 2016 she was awarded the Krishna Datt Award for Excellence in Trade Unionism and Leadership in the Pacific.^[1]

Life

Afamasaga was educated at Samoa College in Samoa, and Hamilton Girls' High School and Christchurch Teachers' College in New Zealand, where she trained as a teacher. She later studied at Victoria University of Wellington and Macquarie University in Australia.^[2]

After teaching at Samoa College and Vaipouli College, in 1984 Afamasaga was appointed principal of Western Samoa Teachers College, a position she held for thirteen years. In 1997 the college merged with the National University of Samoa and she became the first Dean of the Faculty of Education. Eight years later, she became the first Director of the university's Oloamanu Centre for Professional Development and Continuing Education.

Afamasaga has been involved in the development of Samoa Qualifications Authority, and president of the Council of Pacific Education.^[3] In 2014 she became the founding president of the Samoa Workers Congress.^[4] She has also served as the co-ordinator for the Increasing Political Participation of Women in Samoa Programme, a joint programme between UN Women and the United Nations Development Programme.^[5] In 2013 she was appointed to a commission of inquiry investigating abuse of power at Tafaigata prison.^[6]

On 4 November 2022 she was appointed to the Samoa Public Service Commission.^{[7] [8]}

In December 2022 the National University of Samoa announced they would be awarding her an Honorary Doctorate of Letters for her career as an educator.^[9]

She was made a companion of the Order of Samoa in the 2023 Samoa Honours and Awards.^[10]

Notes and References

1. News: Gatoloai Tili Afamasaga. The Pacific Community. 2018-08-01. en.
2. Book: Page and Jha, Elspeth and Jyotsna. Exploring the Bias: Gender and Stereotyping in Secondary Schools. Commonwealth Secretariat. 2009. London. xx.
3. News: Samoa Workers Congress launched. 2014-04-02. 2018-08-01. en.
4. Web site: Samoa's unions face long road . Sapeer Mayron . Samoa Observer . 6 July 2020 . 25 July 2021.
5. Web site: Women’s political participation programme holds trainings in Apia. UNDP in Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa, Tokelau. en. 2018-08-01.
6. Web site: Appointments made to Samoa prison commission of inquiry . RNZ . 9 September 2013 . 25 July 2021.
7. Web site: Two New Members Appointed to Samoa Public Service Commission . Samoa Global News . 4 November 2022 . 4 November 2022.
8. Web site: Cabinet makes new P.S.C. appointments . Samoa Observer . 4 November 2022 . 4 November 2022.
9. Web site: Educationist to get Honorary Doctorate . Samoa Observer . Alexander Rheeney . 13 December 2022 . 14 December 2022.
10. Web site: 15 Conferred Merit Awards for their Service to Samoa and People . Talamua . Lagi Keresoma . 2 June 2023 . 2 June 2023.