Gender violence

Key partners launched the Orange Samoa Spotlight Torch of Hope campaign to support efforts to end gender based violence.

The initiative officially kicked off the country’s participation in the 12 days of Activism global movement last week.

The initiative, which is being led by the Ministry of Women Community and Social Development in Samoa, was launched in Upolu while a corresponding event took place in Savai'i.

It was a recurring theme as the country fronted up for its Universal Periodic Review at the United Nations Human Rights council this week.

Diplomats from dozens of countries gave feedback on Samoa's human rights performance.

One of them was Aurora Díaz-Rato Revuelta of Timor-Leste, whose submission neatly summed up those of most other governments involved.

An historic UN Committee for the Convention to the Rights of a Child session closed in Apia on Friday.

It was the first such meeting to be held outside Geneva or New York.

During the closing, the Spotlight Initiative, a global partnership between the European Union and the UN to eliminate violence against women and girls, was launched.

Leilua Lino, who was abused at the age of nine and is under the care of the Samoa Victim Supports Group, spoke at the launch.

This important occasion was marked at the Festival Village, which was a part of the Van2017 Korman site, and was run in conjunction with the Games Test Event where eight of the 14 sports were on display and testing the venues and infrastructure took place ahead of the December 4 Games opening.

The 16 Days of Activism was launched with a word of prayer followed by official speeches by leaders of the Government and NGOs.

A video of Atif Aslam interrupting his live performance in Karachi on Saturday has been shared thousands of times.

The popular singer told the alleged harassers: "Have you ever seen a girl? She could be your mother or a sister."

Pakistani media said the venue was overcrowded and that several girls reported being harassed.

Galumalemana Steve Percival has produced three films on gender inequality in Samoa and brought his latest film on violence against women and girls to New Zealand.

He said he hoped the use of a proverb to title the film, Sisi le La'afa: Raise the Sennit Sail,would connect with Samoan people.

"One of the weaknesses as I see it, in the discourse on violence and ending violence is that it's most often tackled from the way foreigners try to explore the issues and the subject," he explained.

Mr Macri said every 37 hours a woman was attacked in Argentina and that education was the key to ending deeply rooted cultural patterns of violence.

The plan, due to start next year, includes creating a network of women's refuges, and money for the electronic tagging of violent men.

Last year 235 women were killed in gender violence incidents in Argentina.

The government's National Plan for the Eradication of Violence against Women is putting into force a 2009 law.

The International Centre for Advocates Against Discrimination says its analysis of hundreds of sexual and gender-based violence cases in seven Pacific island countries provides crucial evidence that women are not accessing justice on an equal basis with men.

The new report from the Ministry for Women aims to give a Samoan perspective to the problem of violence against women and girls and to find solutions.

It highlights key prevention strategies that already occur and discusses Samoan approaches for trying to end violence.

Tagaloatele Peggy Fairbairn-Dunlop hopes it leads to a better understanding for all service providers.

As a 16-day United Nations campaign against violence finishes this week, Lina Chang, who runs the Samoa Victims Support Group, says there's been good progress with weekly forums for men and women.

Chang says 200 men have recently graduated from anger management courses, but those were imposed by the courts, and next year she will launch into programmes for voluntary participants.