CSO lead commitment to end violence against women and girls.

The United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Amina J Mohammed, in her message to officially close the 16 Days of Healing Campaign, reiterated the importance of strong and meaningful engagement with civil society for eradicating gender-based violence.

The 16 Days of Healing Campaign reaffirmed the commitment of the groups working on the Spotlight Initiative in Samoa to engage communities in the conversation about the root causes of violence against women and girls, and ways to end it.  

According to Ms Mohammed, the 16 Days of Healing Campaign is a powerful demonstration of a community-driven approach to ending violence in Samoan homes and communities.

Samoa has one of the highest rates of violence against women and girls. 2019-2020 Demographic and Health Survey found that,  52.3% of women age 15-49 experienced physical violence and 90% of children were victims of physical punishment by caregivers. This echoes the findings of the National Inquiry into Family Violence conducted by the Samoa Ombudsman Office in 2018 that reported that 86% of women have been victims of some form of violence (physical, psychological, sexual) in their lifetime.

These figures illustrate the severity of the problem and the urgent necessity of finding solutions. The 16 Days of Healing Campaign aims to mobilise communities by providing them with a platform to voice and share their perspectives while utilizing traditional knowledge and customary practices to promote healing.

The Campaign featured 10 communities led by members of the National Reference Group. These conversations brought out common messages that the answer to end the violence lies within their Christian and cultural values of love, respect, care and protection.

Reinforcing this message through the traditional dance and songs is a powerful appeal to the Samoan people to unite and take pride in creating safe, violence-free communities for all.

WATCH: UN Deputy Secretary General  Amina J Mohammed Message here