Papiloa Foliaki (born 1935) is a Tongan former politician. She initially worked as a nurse, headed a nurses' union, and "led Tonga's first ever strike". She then went into business, as owner and operator of the Friendly Islander Hotel. In 1978, she was elected as a People's Representative to the

Legislative Assembly of Tonga The Legislative Assembly of Tonga ( to, Fale Alea ʻo Tonga) is the unicameral legislature of Tonga. The assembly has 26 members in which 17 members elected by majority of the people for a 5-year term in multi-seat constituencies via the singl ...

– the second woman ever (and first

commoner A commoner, also known as the ''common man'', ''commoners'', the ''common people'' or the ''masses'', was in earlier use an ordinary person in a community or nation who did not have any significant social status, especially a member of neither ...

woman) to sit in the Tongan Parliament, after Princess Si'uilikutapu (1975–78). Foliaki served until 1981. She co-founded the

Tonga Leitis' Association The Tonga Leitis' Association (TLA) is an advocacy and education organisation in Tonga, and is the only organisation in the country dedicated to LGBTQ+ issues. Background The Tonga Leitis Association (TLA) was founded in 1992 by Joey Joleen M ...

, the only organisation in Tonga dedicated to LGBT rights.

References

Living people Members of the Legislative Assembly of Tonga Tongan women in politics Tongan nurses Tongan businesspeople 20th-century women politicians 1935 births 20th-century Tongan women 21st-century Tongan women 20th-century Tongan people 21st-century Tongan people 20th-century Tongan politicians 20th-century Tongan women politicians {{Tonga-politician-stub