Siotasia Malolo is Tonga’s first and only female surveyor, the Ministry of Lands and Resources revealed yesterday. The 23-year-old began working for the Ministry after she graduated from the University of Technology in Papua New Guinea in 2015.

Siotasia follows in the footsteps of her father who was also a surveyor. Her father loved his profession so much that he named her ‘Siotasia’ after ‘Geodesy’ (a mind-numbing field of Science that measures the geometric shape and gravitational field of planet Earth).

In an interview with The Pacific Community earlier this month, Siotasia explained that Land Surveying was male dominated because of the heavy equipment used by land surveyors.

She stated, “I believe surveying was a male dominated field because back then, the equipment and technology was not as good and easy as it is now. I think technology makes it easier for women to carry out the job than how it was back then.”

Siotasia also had advice for women pursuing careers that were male dominated.

"Be strong, believe in yourself and come out of your shell and don't be so shy and nervous because everything's possible. If men can do it, women can do it too."

The Ministry of Lands and Resources revealed that a female student, Angela Paea, is currently on a Tongan government scholarship at the University of Otago undertaking a four-year Bachelor in Surveying.