SVSG Leads Research Study on Violence Against Women
The Samoa Victim Support Group SVSG has launched a new research study called E le Sauā le Alofa that aims to identify how village communities can help end violence against women and girls in Samoa which continues to be on the rise.
The study is conducted by SVSG in partnership with the University College of London and the National University of Samoa, and looks at the role of Samoan villages in preventing violence against women.
“While violence against women and girls in Samoa continues to rise, hardships due to COVID-19 is heightening its impacts on vulnerable families”, reads a statement from SVSG.
SVSG has selected 20 of its village representatives, who are village leaders from 10 villages, to collect data for the study.
Progress has been made as the 20 village leaders have completed interviews about what violence against women means, how community members and leaders are responding to situations of violence, and what the community should be doing to prevent it from happening in the first place.
Most notable is the boldness in the village leaders to speak up about what works and what needs to improve, within their respective villages, to support the prevention of violence.
The next stage will see the 20 village leaders (The EVE Team), conducting interviews with community members, including village and religious leaders, health professionals, families and survivors of violence.
These interviews will assist the local researchers to share common ideas from different communities in Samoa, on violence against women and the preventative measures taken by each participating village.
Discussing these ideas with community members in a series of village meetings will assist in developing a set of guidelines for the research project and its activities.
The study is now in its second year with funding from the UK’s Research and Innovation agency to continue for the next two years.
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For more information about the project, please contact SVSG President Siliniu Lina Chang on telephone number 777-6609 / 757-6601 or email svsginsamoa@gmail.com
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