Women of the Islands - Talissa Koteka

Talissa Koteka 

Rarotongan/Samoan 

FIFA Disciplinary Committee member / Entrepreneur / Lawyer

I was born in Auckland, but my parents moved to Rarotonga when I was 3 months old. My father is a Cook Islander and my mother is Samoan, so giving my older brother and I an island upbringing was something important to the both of them once I came along - hence the reason for moving back to Rarotonga, where my dad spent most of his childhood.

I was fortunate enough to have spent my childhood in Rarotonga as well, but was sent to school in Auckland once I reached high school (which is common for a lot of Cook Islanders).  I was such a little island kid and adjusting to the lifestyle in NZ was a huge transition. But it was great! I got to experience the best of both worlds.

After high school I also attended university in NZ, and as a result, I am now a lawyer, having completed my two degrees (Bachelor of Laws as well as a Bachelor of Commerce) at the University of Otago. After graduating, I then undertook my legal professionals course with the Institute of Professional Studies in Auckland and was then admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor to the High Court of NZ. 

I moved back to Rarotonga when I secured a role with the Crown Law Office here in 2016. Although coming back home to work was never something I had initially intended to do, it has definitely been one of the best decisions I have ever made. 

I love being back home, reconnecting with my family, culture and making the most of all that is island life. 

FIFA World Cup

In May last year, I was appointed to the FIFA Disciplinary Committee (DC), which is one FIFA's three judicial bodies (the other two being the Appeals Committee and the Ethics Committee) for a term of 4 years.

It is the job of the DC to deal with all football/FIFA related disciplinary matters. Our work is pretty broad - we deal not only with what happens on the field or in the spectator stands, but extends to things like marketing issues, anti-doping, player eligibility issues, player transfers, contracts, match fixing and so on. It's very interesting!

As a Committee, we have the jurisdiction to impose sanctions on members, clubs, officials, players, game agents and players' agents, who may be in violation of any FIFA laws, statutes, codes or regulations etc.

 

Well, if you google "FIFA Disciplinary Committee", it will tell you that there are 17 of us that sit on the FIFA DC, as well as the Chairman and Vice Chairman. It will also tell you, that I am one of the 17 members (all from different countries) on the DC, and one of only  2 members from the South Pacific/Oceania region. 

But what it won't tell you, is that, I am the youngest person on the DC, and the youngest person in fact to ever occupy a seat on the DC, being elected at 27 years old...so a lot of my colleagues are a lot older hahaha (but hey, age is only a number!). But not only am I the youngest on the DC, I am a female - one of only three females who now sit on the DC - the most females they have ever had on it at any one time. 

I remember thinking, "wow, how am I even at a seat at this table... look at the people who surround me? What did I do to deserve to be here?".  I mean I come from the Cook Islands, where we have a population of 17,000 and most people I meet have never even heard of it. So for me, this felt huge - I was like "this is FIFA, it's FIFAAAA! The governing body of the biggest, most popular sport in the world!".

FIFA is such a male dominant world, so it's important for females to have a voice in these platforms. They need more females at the decision-making level (and not just in FIFA, but elsewhere too). We bring a different perspective, different ideas and views. Being a more diverse group means that better informed decisions are made at the top. 

As a Pacifika woman, I hope I can inspire other young woman in the Cook Islands, and across the Pacific. We have the capacity and potential to do so much, and we aren't just limited to our own backyards. For me this is about letting young Pacific woman know that any thing is possible. It's not just about having a seat at the table, but what we can bring to the table to make change and have positive impact. 

With this role, my biggest challenge has probably been my confidence. I am a person that already, naturally has a lot of self doubt when it comes to my abilities.I think that's common with a lot of Pacific Islanders though. Initially, I felt hugely intimated by my colleagues, because they are all older with much more experience than me. I feel a lot more settled after just over a year with the DC though, and I have definitely found my feet and my voice. 

I also found being young and of course a female (in a "mans world") a bit of a struggle at first. Although there are two other females on the Committee, there are times where we aren't all present at the same Committee hearings, meetings or tournaments so quite often I can be the only female among all the males. Don't get me wrong, my colleagues are great, we all have a great working relationship and friendship outside of DC work. But I've grown up in a female dominant family - so when I find myself being the only female in a room of males I think "hmmm there is something not quite right here!". 

I started doing consultancy work with the Cook Islands Climate Change division (which falls under the Office of the Prime Minister) in March this year. So, a bit different to criminal law haha but it is an area I am interested in and passionate about - so this was a road I was always going to pursue. 

One of my close friends and I also launched a clothing and apparel company about a year ago. It's a surf and water sports inspired label; Vatea Co - so that's another thing that keeps me busy on the side. So far it's going well, we both have busy schedules however so don't have as much time as we'd like to to spend working on Vatea, but we are happy with where things are at with our little business now, and are excited to see it keep growing.

I don't have any set plans for the future. I know I would like to continue in the field of climate change, but I would also like to find a balance between climate change and litigation - I miss court room work! So ideally, something that involves both would be perfect for me. We'll see!

I also plan to carry on with post-graduate study. I would like to do a Master of Laws, in climate change or environmental law. However, now that sports law is on the agenda, maybe that's the route I will take... It's another area that fascinates me!