The United Kingdom has provided Samoa funding to help efforts to end violence against women and girls.
The Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development received the assistance as part of UK’s Conflict, Stability and Security Fund Pacific programme, which is providing £2m in funding support across the Pacific in 2021-22.
Acting CEO for Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development in Samoa, Vitoria Crichton Lalomilo said, MWCSD is pleased to partner with the UK government through the Ending Violence in the Village (EVV) project, to increase awareness and promote discussion of social and cultural norms on ending GBV in Samoa.
The British High Commissioner to Samoa, David Ward said, “Ending violence against women and girls, continues to be a top UK priority and I am delighted that we will be working with MWCSD to raise awareness on this important issue. Changing the social and cultural community norms around violence and increasing women’s status in Samoa is essential to bring about real and positive change”.
The Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated levels of domestic violence, with a 93% increase in GBV cases since the State of Emergency orders were announced by the Government nearly 20 months ago.
The Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development, Salvation Army and Teen Challenge, are leading the commemoration of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) campaign through training workshops, community awareness and media awareness programmes and other activities.
There was a workshop in Savaii earlier this week.
The workshops will lead to the launch of the ‘Ending Violence in the Village (EVV) Project’ funded by the UK Government.
The purpose of the project is to educate, encourage and implement methods of ending GBV in the home and village.
One in three women worldwide will experience physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime.
This significantly impacts the lives and wellbeing of girls and women, limiting them from equal participation and access to opportunities that are fundamental to both freedom and development.