Changing behaviors to protect children from violence
Nine out of 10 children in Samoa experience severe forms of punishment at home. Demographic and Health - Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2019-2020.
‘When you are safe in your own home, you are safe anywhere”. It is the simple translation of the Samoan proverb, “A e malu I fale, e te malu I fafo.”
"Malu i fale, is the grounding concept of a multimedia campaign to reduce family violence in Samoa launched under the Spotlight Initiative by the Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development, UNICEF, the European Union, the Samoa Victim Support Group, and key media partners.
The multimedia campaign produced a series of products and messages to promote gender-equitable, child-friendly, and violence-free norms, attitudes, and behaviors, especially within the family.
The messages will reach community members in Samoa via mainstream and digital platforms, including television, radio and social media, and will be reinforced by sustained community dialogues with faith leaders, village chiefs, parents and caregivers, as well as adolescents themselves, to promote behavior change.
The National Multi-Media Campaign to Reduce Family Violence in Samoa, is one of the many significant components of the Spotlight Initiative in Samoa through the Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development, and aims to raise awareness and improve knowledge and understanding on the nature, causes and consequences of family violence across the whole society, as well as promote social and behavior change in relation to norms regarding gender and violence, among children and adults.
In developing these key messages, the campaign team utilized evidence from existing sources and organized consultation workshops with communities to guide their work.
The Associate Minister for the Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development, Seuamuli Fasi Toma, emphasized in his keynote address that the wholistic approach to address family violence and the impact on children lies in strong partnership between the Government, civil societies, development partners, the church and villages.
“Our values of respect, love and care are key in all our efforts to defeat this disturbing issue, the Associate Minister added.
The UNICEF Pacific Representative, Jonathon Veitch, who provided the remarks on behalf of the development partners at the Launch, emphasized that “Exposure to violence in childhood is strongly associated with future victimization and perpetration of abuse,” and that “any form of violence decreases a child’s ability to function, and this impact may be irreversible.
Mr. Veitch further added that UNICEF believes that one case of child abuse is already too many. Every child should feel safe and protected at all times.” This National Multi-Media Campaign therefore has a specific lens on encouraging child protection through the introduction of positive parenting guidance, in the form of engaging trainings, and through the creation of media products that will be widely disseminated via multiple media platforms throughout the country.
The Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development, with support from its UN and EU partners, civil society organizations, faith based organsations, village committees, families, and young people, will continue to roll out the National Multimedia Campaign to promote a safe environment in Samoa for all children, to live safely and be protected from any type of abuse.
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