The Honorable Minister of Finance and her delegation attended the Gender Equality
Symposium and FIFA’s Women’s World Cup side events, in Meanjin, Brisbane Australia on the 27th and 28th
July 2023. The symposium brought together a host of global leaders, sports champions, human rights
advocates, and emerging female leaders from the across the world and the pacific region. The symposium
was co-hosted by Hon. Penny Wong, Minster for Foreign Affairs and the Hon. Anika Wells, MP, Minister for
Sport, and Aged care, with the aim of inspiring generations towards gender equality.
The Symposium was a two-day event and Samoa’s delegation was led by the Minister of Finance, Hon
Mulipola Anarosa Ale Molio’o who was invited by Hon.Penny Wong, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade
and was accompanied by Taulapapa Brenda Heather-Latu, senior lawyer, Consultant and international
sports official who attended as a Pacific leader from Samoa, and Aualiitia Sine Lafaialii Koria, Manager
Legal for the Samoa National Provident Fund as the adviser specifically for her role in the establishment
of the legal framework for people with disabilities.
The Symposium was a two-day event which opened with a welcome ceremony hosted by Hon. Penny
Wong, and the inaugural Ambassador for First Nations People: Justin Mohammed at the Queensland Art
Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art. A Reverse Mentoring session was conducted which paired Australian
and Pacific leaders with Australian and Pacific emerging Youth and Sports delegates, which was hosted by
Hon. Tom Watts, Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs and attended by the delegation’s Taulapapa Brenda.
This event was held in parallel to a ‘kick around’ between Hon. Penny Wong and the heads of delegations,
with the Afghanistan women’s football team players. The first day then concluded with all delegates
attending the FIFA Women’s World Cup match between Australia and Nigeria held at Suncorp Stadium.
The second day of the Symposium began with a Breakfast event hosted by Hon Penny Wong, Minister for
Foreign Affairs, Hon Anika Wells, Minister for Sport and Aged Care and Hon Katy Gallagher Minister of
Finance, Women and the Public Service, and featured a welcome speech by the Queensland Premier Hon.
Annastacia Palaszczuk.
The Gender Symposium took place on Friday 28th July and the participants heard from various global
leaders on their experiences in driving gender equality especially in sports, including the first female
Secretary General of FIFA: Madame Fatma Samoura. A surprise speaker was the US Secretary of State:
Antony Blinken who spoke of the US’s approach to Gender Equality.
The Symposium also provided a unique opportunity for the Honorable Minister Mulipola to attend
bilateral meetings firstly with the Queensland Government Treasurer, and Minister for Trade and
Investment, the Hon Cameron Dick, as well as the inaugural Queensland Government Trade and
Investment Commissioner for the Pacific Ms. Leata Ala’imoana Roberts followed by a bilateral with the
Hon. Katy Gallagher, the Federal Minister for Finance, Women, and the Public Service.
The delegation also had the opportunity to visit the Queensland Women’s Health and Equality Queensland
where they discussed and shared stories about advancing women’s health and equality as well as access
to public health services both in Australia and Samoa.
The Honourable Minister wishes to convey her most sincere appreciation and thanks to the Honourable
Minister Wong and Honourable Minister Wells for hosting such a successful and inspiring event and their
kind invitation to attend, and very much looks forward to working together with Australia to further
develop gender equality in Samoa and deepening our ongoing relationship with the Government and
people of Australia.
The Honorable Minister was delighted to meet with young Samoan women who are making their mark in
the world such as: Sarai Bareman who is the inaugural Chief Women’s Football Officer who started her

football administration career representing Samoa as a player and then Finance Manager and eventually
CEO of the Football Federation of Samoa, then Deputy Secretary General for the Oceania Football
Confederation and the only woman on the FIFA Reforms Committee before her appointment to Chief of
Women’s Football.
Leata Ala’imoana-Roberts is the inaugural Trade and Investment Commissioner for the Queensland
Government having had extensive experience in Aviation Investment and Business, with previous roles as
Manager of Aviation & Aerospace for the Queensland Government, and as Impact Investment Manager
for Pacific Trade Invest Australia.
Taulapapa Brenda Heather-Latu was selected in recognition as her appointment as the first woman official
from the Pacific to be appointed as a Judicial Officer by World Rugby for this year’s Rugby World Cup 2023
(being held in France from September to October 2023). Taulapapa has been chosen along with two other
Samoans (selected from New Zealand), who also join her on the World Cup Disciplinary Committee being
former Manu Samoa and Highlanders player District Court Judge Mike Mika, and former All Black and
Manu Samoa player: Aiolupotea Ofisa Tonu’u (Jr).
So there will be Manu Samoa playing on the field, and also part of the World Rugby organization, and all
join Sarai Bareman at FIFA as global ambassadors for sport, from Samoa, which is something we can all
celebrate and honor God’s great provision and blessings upon our land.