Andrina Thomas
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.
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.{{Cite web |date=2016-07-18 |title=Andrina Thomas |url=https://investvanuatu.vu/ceo-biodata/,%20https://investvanuatu.vu/ceo-biodata/ |access-date=2023-11-16 |website=Vanuatu Foreign Investment Promotion Agency |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2019-01-17 |title=Advocating for good governance ethics |url=https://www.dailypost.vu/news/advocating-for-good-governance-ethics/article_bc92797f-260e-5e08-8da0-d8ff2b26e6d3.html |access-date=2023-11-16 |website=Vanuatu Daily Post |language=en}}
She attended the University of the South Pacific in Fiji, graduating with a bachelor's in public administration and, in 2003, an MBA.{{Cite web |date=2015-05-25 |title=Dr.Thomas heads Investment Promotion Authority |url=https://www.dailypost.vu/news/dr-thomas-heads-investment-promotion-authority/article_a86fa6a5-e201-5df2-a732-0c41343423a9.html |access-date=2023-11-16 |website=Vanuatu Daily Post |language=en}} She later attended the University of Waikato in New Zealand, where she obtained a doctorate in business leadership and governance in 2013.{{Cite news |last=Fennell |first=Jordan |last2=Srinivasan |first2=Prianka |date=2020-03-18 |title=Vanuatu's Parliament is a boys club, but women are hoping to change that |language=en-AU |work=ABC News |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-19/vanuatu-election-sees-17-women-run-against-almost-300-men/12059218 |access-date=2023-11-16}} She was the second Ni-Vanuatu woman to earn a doctoral degree.{{Cite web |title=Andrina KL Thomas |url=https://devpolicy.org/author/andrina-kl-thomas/ |access-date=2023-11-16 |website=Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre |language=en-AU}}{{Cite news |date=July–August 2013 |title=NZ Scholarship student to use PhD research to empower Ni-Vanuatu women |work=Spasifik Magazine |issue=57}}
Career
Thomas has worked for various NGOs and government agencies in Vanuatu. She also represented the government of Vanuatu at international climate conferences.
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.{{Cite news |last=Yi |first=Beh Lih |date=2020-04-22 |title=End 'embarrassing' all-male parliament, Vanuatu women urge new PM |language=en-US |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.comarticle/idUSKCN2241LO/ |access-date=2023-11-16}} She was suspended for a period in 2016, but retained the title until 2017.{{Cite web |last=Joshua |first=Jane |date=2016-11-04 |title=VIPA Board suspends CEO |url=https://www.dailypost.vu/news/vipa-board-suspends-ceo/article_5a7cb723-dbcd-5de9-9b2b-fa2b757934cc.html |access-date=2023-11-16 |website=Vanuatu Daily Post |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2022-07-21 |title=Dr Thomas appeals for support for Presidency candidature |url=https://www.dailypost.vu/news/dr-thomas-appeals-for-support-for-presidency-candidature/article_c6293651-acce-5098-9ea9-a8644e1fdc5f.html |access-date=2023-11-16 |website=Vanuatu Daily Post |language=en}}
Politics
Thomas has been an activist for women's inclusion and empowerment in Vanuatuan society, and against femicide in the country.
In 2019, the Leleon Vanua Democratic Party was founded as Vanuatu's first woman-led political party, with Thomas as its secretary-general.{{Cite web |last=Mcdonald |first=Joshua |date=2020-04-02 |title=Women in Vanuatu Vie for a Presence in Parliament |url=https://thediplomat.com/2020/04/women-in-vanuatu-vie-for-a-presence-in-parliament/ |access-date=2023-11-16 |website=The Diplomat |language=en-US}} Its aim was to improve women's representation in Vanuatuan politics; at the time, there were no women in the Parliament of Vanuatu. 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.{{Cite web |last=Thomas |first=Andrina KL |last2=Howard |first2=Elise |date=2020-05-20 |title=On running for elections in Vanuatu as a woman |url=https://devpolicy.org/the-vanuatu-2020-elections-perspectives-of-a-female-candidate-20200521/ |access-date=2023-11-16 |website=Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre |language=en-AU}}{{Cite web |last=Malsungai |first=Antoine |date=2020-02-22 |title=Land and citizenship abused over the last 39 years: Dr. Thomas |url=https://www.dailypost.vu/news/land-and-citizenship-abused-over-the-last-39-years-dr-thomas/article_89cde04e-5501-11ea-b234-db624778fc18.html |access-date=2023-11-16 |website=Vanuatu Daily Post |language=en}} However, none of the female candidates were elected, leaving the Parliament exclusively male.
In 2022, Thomas ran as a candidate for president of Vanuatu from the Leleon Vanua Democratic Party.{{Cite web |last=Tokona |first=Mavuku |date=2022-07-20 |title=Andrina Wants to be Next President of Vanuatu |url=https://www.dailypost.vu/news/andrina-wants-to-be-next-president-of-vanuatu/article_75d49b36-f6ea-5c88-8a57-5ffe7ca923b8.html |access-date=2023-11-16 |website=Vanuatu Daily Post |language=en}} She lost to Nikenike Vurobaravu.{{Cite web |last=Bule |first=Hilaire |date=2022-07-26 |title=Vurobaravu elected new President |url=https://www.dailypost.vu/news/vurobaravu-elected-new-president/article_3e00c545-28f5-52f6-bc79-f9a2e712d13b.html |access-date=2023-11-16 |website=Vanuatu Daily Post |language=en}} She and Lois Fatu were the only female candidates across a field of a dozen aspirants.