Gatoloaifaana Amataga Alesana-Gidlow

{{short description|Samoan politician}}

{{Infobox officeholder

|honorific-prefix =

|name = Gatoloaifaana Amataga Alesana-Gidlow

|honorific-suffix =

|image = Gatoloaifaana Amataga Alesana-Gidlow 2013.jpg

|caption = Gatoloaifaana Amataga Alesana-Gidlow in 2013

|office =

|primeminister =

|term_start =

|term_end =

|predecessor =

|successor =

|office2 = Minister of Health

|term_start2 = 24 April 2006

|term_end2 = 21 March 2011

|primeminister2 = Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi

|predecessor2 = Mulitalo Siafausa Vui

|successor2 = Magele Sekati Fiaui

|office3 =

|deputy3 =

|term_start3 =

|term_end3 =

|predecessor3 =

|successor3 =

|office4 =

|leader4 =

|term_start4 =

|term_end4 =

|predecessor4 =

|successor4 =

|constituency_MP5 = Fa'asaleleaga No. 1

|parliament5 = Samoa

|term_start5 = 31 March 2006

|term_end5 = 9 April 2021

|predecessor5 =

|successor5 = Matamua Vasati Pulufana

|majority5 =

|constituency_MP6 =

|parliament6 =

|term_start6 =

|term_end6 =

|predecessor6 =

|successor6 =

|birth_date =

|birth_place =

|death_date =

|death_place =

|party = Human Rights Protection Party

|alma_mater =

|website =

}}

Gatoloaifaana Amataga Alesana-Gidlow is a Samoan politician and former Cabinet Minister. She is a member of the Human Rights Protection Party.

Gatoloaifaana is the daughter of former Prime Minister Tofilau Eti Alesana.{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/161504/samoan-election-result-final |title=Samoan election result final |publisher=RNZ |date=18 April 2006 |access-date=21 June 2021}} She was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Samoa in the 2006 Samoan general election,{{cite web|url=http://www.parliament.gov.ws/popup_mop.cfm?mop=009 |work=The Parliament of Samoa |title=14th Parliament 2006 - 2011, Members of Parliament & Ministers |accessdate=23 May 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070824112609/http://www.parliament.gov.ws/popup_mop.cfm?mop=009 |archivedate=August 24, 2007 }} and appointed Minister of Health.{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/161651/five-new-faces-in-new-samoa-cabinet |title=Five new faces in new Samoa cabinet |publisher=RNZ |date=24 April 2006 |access-date=21 June 2021}} As health minister she advanced legislation banning the sale of tobacco to young people.{{cite web |url=http://www.pireport.org/articles/2008/06/12/samoa-bill-prohibit-sale-tobacco |title=SAMOA BILL TO PROHIBIT SALE OF TOBACCO TO YOUTH |publisher=Pacific Islands Report |date=12 June 2008 |access-date=21 June 2021}} and managed an outbreak of Swine Flu.{{cite web |url=http://www.pireport.org/articles/2009/07/27/flu-fears-close-samoa-schools |title=FLU FEARS CLOSE SAMOA SCHOOLS |publisher=Pacific Islands Report |date=27 July 2009 |access-date=21 June 2021}} She was re-elected at the 2011 election, but not reappointed to Cabinet.{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/196066/dumped-samoa-minister-says-she's-happy-on-the-back-benches |title=Dumped Samoa minister says she's happy on the back benches |publisher=RNZ |date=21 March 2011 |accessdate=20 November 2020}} In 2012 she supported constitutional amendments requiring that women hold a minimum of 10% of the seats in parliament.{{cite web |url=http://www.pireport.org/articles/2012/03/15/samoa-parliament-divided-over-women%E2%80%99s-seats-bill |title=SAMOA PARLIAMENT DIVIDED OVER WOMEN'S SEATS BILL |publisher=Pacific Islands Report |date=15 March 2012 |access-date=21 June 2021}} In August 2014 she appeared in court charged with one count of issuing insulting words;{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/251577/samoa-mp-in-court-for-insulting-language |title=Samoa MP in court for insulting language |publisher=RNZ |date=7 August 2014 |access-date=21 June 2021}} the charges were ultimately dropped.{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/254348/charges-against-samoa-minister-dropped |title=Charges against Samoa minister dropped |publisher=RNZ |date=11 September 2014 |access-date=21 June 2021}} She was re-elected again at the 2016 election.{{cite web |url=http://www.pireport.org/articles/2016/03/07/samoa-hrpp-party-returned-landslide-election-victory |title=Samoa HRPP Party Returned In Landslide Election Victory |publisher=Pacific Islands Report |date=7 March 2016 |access-date=21 June 2021}} She lost her seat in the April 2021 Samoan general election.{{cite web |url=https://www.samoaobserver.ws/category/samoa/82312 |title=Youngest candidate bests veteran M.P. |publisher=Samoa Observer |author=Soli Wilson |date=12 April 2021 |access-date=21 June 2021}}

Gatoloaifaana is married to Rodger Gidlow and they own and run the Savaiian Hotel in Lalomalava on the north coast of Savai'i. She has also been a Director on the Board of the Samoa Tourism Authority. In 2017 she was appointed a judge of the Miss Pacific Islands Pageant.{{cite web |url=https://www.samoaobserver.ws/category/samoa/17539 |title=M.P. Gatoloaifaana a Judge, Tonga secures next Miss Pacific |publisher=Samoa Observer |author=Nanai Laveitiga Tuiletufuga |date=6 December 2017 |access-date=21 June 2021}}