Andrina Thomas

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Andrina Komala Lini Thomas is a politician, researcher, and activist in Vanuatu. Since 2019, she has been the founding secretary-general of the Leleon Vanua Democratic Party, a women's party seeking to close the significant gender gap in Vanuatuan politics. She ran for Parliament in 2020, then as a candidate for president in the 2022 Vanuatuan elections, but was not elected.

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Early life and education

Andrina Thomas is descended from the Na Vuhu Sule clan of Matantas Village on the island of Espiritu Santo in Vanuatu. [1] [2]

She attended the University of the South Pacific in Fiji, graduating with a bachelor's in public administration and, in 2003, an MBA. [1] [3] She later attended the University of Waikato in New Zealand, where she obtained a doctorate in business leadership and governance in 2013. [2] [3] [4] She was the second Ni-Vanuatu woman to earn a doctoral degree. [5] [6]

Career

Thomas has worked for various NGOs and government agencies in Vanuatu. [1] [3] She also represented the government of Vanuatu at international climate conferences. [1]

In May 2015, she was appointed as CEO of the Vanuatuan government's investment arm, the Vanuatu Investment Promotion Authority, becoming the first Ni-Vanuatu woman to hold the position. [1] [3] [7] She was suspended for a period in 2016, but retained the title until 2017. [8] [9]

Politics

Thomas has been an activist for women's inclusion and empowerment in Vanuatuan society, and against femicide in the country. [1]

In 2019, the Leleon Vanua Democratic Party was founded as Vanuatu's first woman-led political party, with Thomas as its secretary-general. [4] [7] [10] Its aim was to improve women's representation in Vanuatuan politics; at the time, there were no women in the Parliament of Vanuatu. [10] The party eventually opted not to contest the 2020 election due to a lack of funding, but Thomas and other candidates still ran as independents or representing other parties; in her case, she ran as a candidate for the Oceania Transformation Movement in the Espirito Santo rural constituency. [4] [10] [11] [12] However, none of the female candidates were elected, leaving the Parliament exclusively male. [7] [11]

In 2022, Thomas ran as a candidate for president of Vanuatu from the Leleon Vanua Democratic Party. [13] [9] She lost to Nikenike Vurobaravu. [14] She and Lois Fatu were the only female candidates across a field of a dozen aspirants. [13] [9]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Andrina Thomas". Vanuatu Foreign Investment Promotion Agency. 2016-07-18. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  2. 1 2 "Advocating for good governance ethics". Vanuatu Daily Post. 2019-01-17. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Dr.Thomas heads Investment Promotion Authority". Vanuatu Daily Post. 2015-05-25. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  4. 1 2 3 Fennell, Jordan; Srinivasan, Prianka (2020-03-18). "Vanuatu's Parliament is a boys club, but women are hoping to change that". ABC News. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  5. ↑ "Andrina KL Thomas". Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  6. ↑ "NZ Scholarship student to use PhD research to empower Ni-Vanuatu women". Spasifik Magazine. No. 57. July–August 2013.
  7. 1 2 3 Yi, Beh Lih (2020-04-22). "End 'embarrassing' all-male parliament, Vanuatu women urge new PM". Reuters. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  8. ↑ Joshua, Jane (2016-11-04). "VIPA Board suspends CEO". Vanuatu Daily Post. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  9. 1 2 3 "Dr Thomas appeals for support for Presidency candidature". Vanuatu Daily Post. 2022-07-21. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  10. 1 2 3 Mcdonald, Joshua (2020-04-02). "Women in Vanuatu Vie for a Presence in Parliament". The Diplomat. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  11. 1 2 Thomas, Andrina KL; Howard, Elise (2020-05-20). "On running for elections in Vanuatu as a woman". Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  12. ↑ Malsungai, Antoine (2020-02-22). "Land and citizenship abused over the last 39 years: Dr. Thomas". Vanuatu Daily Post. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  13. 1 2 Tokona, Mavuku (2022-07-20). "Andrina Wants to be Next President of Vanuatu". Vanuatu Daily Post. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  14. ↑ Bule, Hilaire (2022-07-26). "Vurobaravu elected new President". Vanuatu Daily Post. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
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