The next general elections will be held in 1996. Women occasionally reach high public office. The 12-member Cabinet has 1 female member, and women hold 2 of the 47 seats in Parliament. The first female judge was named in 1994. Section 4 Governmental Attitude Regarding International and Nongovernmental Investigation of Alleged Violations of Human Rights A number of human rights groups operated without government restriction, investigating the Tumua and Pule sedition case and publishing their findings about it.
Government officials are usually cooperative.
The Constitution prohibits discrimination based on race, sex, religion, disability, language, or social status. Western Samoa is a homogeneous society with no significant ethnic minorities. Samoan politics and culture are the product of a heritage of chiefly privilege and power, and members of certain families have some advantages. The traditional subordinate role of women is changing, albeit slowly, especially in the more conservative parts of society. While abuse of women is prohibited by law, social custom tolerates physical abuse of women within the home.