Nuanua O Le Alofa (NOLA), with support and funding from the Australian High Commission, UN Women, and the Pacific Disability Forum launched its first Toolkit on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls with Disabilities.
The national organisation of and for people with disabilities developed the toolkit in consultation with women in the community, and officially launched it at a ceremony held in the Development Bank of Samoa Conference room this morning.
The main focus of the toolkit is to ensure women and girls with disabilities can enjoy their right to live in a society, free from any form of violence.
Women and girls with disabilities have experienced a significant barrier with the increasing levels of violence in their families, churches and communities.
The toolkit exemplifies the collective responsibility as a country to ensure that women and girls with disabilities know their rights and are aware of the support of global organisations.
The idea is to enhance a safer society for all, inclusive of gender and disability. This launch was also NOLA’s celebration for International Women’s Day 2020.
Associate Minister of Women, Community and Social Development, Salausa Dr. John Ah Ching spoke on the establishment of the toolkit being an additional solution and stepping stone to eradicating gender based violence against women and girls with disabilities.
He said, “Samoa’s implementation of awareness on ending violence is a way that our country is ensuring we stay true to our mandates in the Conventional Rights of a child (CRC), Conventional on the Elimination of all forms Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and Conventional Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).”
Speaking alongside Deputy Minister of Women Salausa John Ah Ching was UN Women Representative Papali’i Mele Maualaivao, First Secretary of Australian High Commission in Samoa Julia Wheeler and Reverend Maauga Motu.
Many of NOLA’s program partners were also in attendance.
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