Malu i Fale - 16 Days of Activism National Campaign launched

Lau Susuga le Fa‘afeagaiga, fa‘afetai mo le tatalo amata!

Afio Lau Afioga le Sa’o Fa’apito, Lau Afioga le Tama’ita’i Palemia, Lau Afioga Fiame Naomi Mata’afa

Afio Lau Afioga le Minisitā o Tinā ma Tama‘ita‘i, Lau Afioga Leota Laki Lamositele,

I le mamalu o Alii ma Tama’ta’i Minisita ma sui uma o fa’alapotopotoga eseese ua potopoto i lenei taeao faitaulia mo tagata soifua uma òle lalolagi.

Talofa! Talofa lava!

Thank you, Reverend Minister, for the opening prayer.

Hon. Fiame Naomi Mata’afa, Prime Minister of Samoa,

Minister of Women, Community and Social Development, Hon. Leota Laki Lamositele-Sio, Cabinet Ministers, Chief Executive Officer Dr. Mema Motusaga,

Distinguished guests who have gathered on this auspicious day for all the peoples of the world. Talofa! Talofa lava!

On behalf of the United Nations and the European Union, the two partners who brought to life the Spotlight Initiative and who work closely together on ending violence against women and girls worldwide, I am pleased to join you today for the "Launch of ‘Malu i Fale Campaign' 16 Days of Activism with the Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development".

While ending violence is still an unfinished job in this country, close to 4 years from the launch of the Spotlight Initiative, Samoa is a profoundly transformed society and, owing to your unwavering commitment, the transformation will continue.

After the launch of the Spotlight Initiative for the Pacific on 26 February 2019 in Apia that brought 50 mill EUR from the European Union to end domestic and intimate partner violence in the region, a whole of Government / whole of society movement began in Samoa to recognize and protect rights, save lives, and improve relationships in the family and community.

The Spotlight deeply rooted partnership within the society unleashed the power of the rich culture and traditions of this nation to heal and renew and provide a safe space for women and girls to be respected and valued and to voice their needs and aspirations without fear. Women and girls we are acknowledging today are mothers, daughters, sisters, close relatives and friends, people like us demanding rights, equal treatment, and justice.

Let us remember the significance of this day:

25 November became a symbol of violence against women due to the assassinations on 25 Nov 1960 of the three Mirabal sisters by Rafael Trujillo, the leader of the Dominican Republic. The three young women were brutally killed for their political activism. In 1979, the CEDAW came to life and it was only on 20 December 1993, when the General Assembly adopted the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women through resolution 48/104, opening the way towards eradicating violence against women and girls worldwide.

Finally, on 7 February 2000, the General Assembly adopted resolution 54/134, officially designating 25 November as the International day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women inviting governments, international organizations as well as NGOs to join together and raise public awareness of the issue every year on that date.

Despite all efforts, over one third of all women aged 15 and above are reported to have experienced one or more forms of violence at the hands of their intimate partners. Some 81,000 women and girls were killed intentionally in 2021 alone out of whom 45,000 as a result of domestic violence. That means 5 women and girls are killed every hour / or 120 women and girls are killed every day in and by their own families, a horrible reality that we strive to put an end to globally.

Recent data on domestic violence in the Pacific still shows high incidence of DV/IPV, to a large extent driven by socio-economic hardship brought about by the pandemic and the multiple crises we experience globally.

The not so good news is that the coming years will not see those crises resolved, most of the people everywhere continuing to experience shortage of food and increasing costs of living which will add stress to their family lives.

It is therefore important that we continue our efforts to cultivate unity and respect for rights and shared values in our families and communities to ensure we navigate difficult times together. Only through respect for one another can we reduce the burden of global economic distress on our families and protect what is essential to everyone’s wellbeing – harmony and stability in the family environment. A recent study of the IMF shows that, on average, 1% increase in violence against women reduces economic activity by 8%.    

We’ve witnessed over recent years the remarkable progress that Samoa has made in redesigning its policy foundation to promote and protect rights including the

Policies:

• National Policy on Gender Equality and Rights of Women and Girls 2021-2031
• National Policy on Family Safety: Elimination of Family Violence 2021-2031
• National Policy on Childcare and Protection 2020-2030
• Community Sector Plan 2021-2026
• Law & Justice Sector Plan 2021-2026
• Pathway for the Development of Samoa,
• the Inter Agency Essential Services Guide
• District Development Plans

all aiming at advancing gender equality and ending discrimination and violence against women and girls in all forms.  

Also, the review of specific legislation led by the Samoa Law Reform Commission will lead to a much stronger and conducive law environment to eliminate all forms of inequality that may act as root causes of domestic violence. The initiative of the National Human Rights institute to establish Village Safety Committees in response to the 2017 national inquiry led to 6 successful pilots that translated into village by-laws to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls.

The great success of the Spotlight is owed to the unprecedented engagement of the civil society organizations including community and faith-based organizations under the able leadership of the Civil Society National Reference Group. It has all started with the 10 pillar strategy including: Paopao, Gogosina, Matau, Upega, Tanoa, Ulafala, Fale, Fue, To’oto’o and Tuiga.

Can I acknowledge with much appreciation our 10 thought leaders that made such a significant contribution to our work on ending violence against women and girls, children more broadly:

Lemau Palaamo Faith Based Organisations Representative

Mataafa Faatino Utumapu People With Disabilities Representative

Fagalima Tuatagaloa SOGIE+ Rep

Taimalelagi Ramona Tugaga Youth Rep

Sam Fruean Essential Services 

Gabrielle Apelu Women in Sports 

Malo Helen Tanielu Academics and Research 

Lualua Namulauulu Tautu Rural Communities & Traditional Leaders 

Fuatino Pam Sua Women's Movements 

Dr. Walter Vermeulen Men and Boys

Thank you! We have all learned a great deal as to how culture including arts best express human soul and our quest for self-worth and wellbeing.

Faafetai Tele, National Reference Group!

Liberia, Tajikistan, Honduras and Zimbabwe stood no chance in Cancun. I do not think I ever cried as much as I did that evening out of happiness and gratitude to you all for taking the nation and the programme up on the global stage.

So, where to from here?

In two days, we hope our Phase 2 of the Spotlight Programme will receive final endorsement from the Global Secretariat and the OSC so that we could continue our work until the end of 2023.

We have also been informed that the Secretariat included us among the countries for each additional resources will be mobilized so that our social cohesion journey in Samoa can continue beyond the lifetime of the Spotlight. UN Women and partners will continue their work on EVAWG drawing on the UN Partnership with the EU.

I would like to also express much appreciation for the great work that the UN family put into the Spotlight Initiative: UNDP, UNESCO, UN Women, UNFPA and UNICEF colleagues, take a bow as the results of this programme brought you all up on stage in Cancun as well. On behalf of the United Nations Secretary General, I wish to thank you all at the UN and, once again, congratulate Samoa – the Government, the Civil Society and the people everywhere in the community for driving this powerful change.

We stand with HER! Samoa stands with HER! “UNITED! And acting together to end violence against women and girls” as this year’s theme guides us, we stand for women’s rights and dignity.

For all the victims of violence, all women and girls who lost their lives and those who live in fear, may we never abandon the mission to correct the injustices of this world and end all forms of discrimination and inequality.

In Maya Angelou’s words:

You may write me down in history

With your bitter, twisted lies,

You may trod me in the very dirt

But still, like dust, I'll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?

Bowed head and lowered eyes?

Shoulders falling down like teardrops,

Weakened by my soulful cries?

You may shoot me with your words,

You may cut me with your eyes,

You may kill me with your hatefulness,

But still, like air, I’ll rise.

Fa’afetai Tele, Soifua