The UK is providing financial assistance to the Ministry of Women, Community and
Social Development (MWCSD) as part of the UK’s Conflict, Stability and Security Fund
(CSSF) Pacific programme, which is providing £2m in funding support across the
Pacific in 2021-22.
Violence against women and girls is pervasive during normal times, however evidence
suggests that this escalates in times of conflict and crisis. The Covid-19 pandemic has
exacerbated levels of domestic violence in Samoa, with a 93% increase in GBV cases
since the state of emergency orders were announced by the Samoan Government.
From 25 November to 10 December, the Ministry of Women, Community and Social
Development in Samoa in Partnership with the Salvation Army and Teen Challenge,
will be leading the commemoration of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based
Violence (GBV) campaign in Samoa through the implementation of training
workshops, community awareness and media awareness programs and many other
activities. The workshop ran for two days in Savaii from 6 – 7 December and in Upolu
from 8 – 9 December. This will also see 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. In partnership with The Salvation Army Samoa and
Team Challenge, the project will be conducting three (3) workshops predominantly
targeting male participants, as part of the MWCSD ‘Be the Man’ campaign which
encourages men to become champions of GBV. The workshops will also incorporate
Samoan cultural values, human rights and the legal processes of reporting to the
police.
The British High Commission, Apia is working with the Ministry of Women, Community
and Social Development to raise community awareness on GBV and train community
members to become equipped with the necessary skills to identify risk factors and
social norms that perpetuate violence and resolve these issues so that violence in the
home or community is de-escalated or avoided altogether.

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”.
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 EVV project, to increase awareness and promote discussion of social and
cultural norms on ending GBV in Samoa.
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.