Spotlight boost civil society movements to end violence against women and girls.

Happy smiles from grateful hearts.

These are some of civil societies in Samoa working and contributing to all national efforts towards ending violence against women. They are also the successful grantees of the Spotlight Initiative UNDP CSO Low Value Grant scheme.

The Small Grants support the CSO to build and strengthen existing EVAWG efforts and can be used for diverse innovative activities such as;

• building Internal/institutional capacity;
• fostering collaborative partnerships;
• strengthening advocacy and prevention initiatives using creative cultural arts, sports,
• strengthening response services, case management, and referrals;
• sharing of good practices and learning and capacity building

The grant scheme gives an extra boost to ongoing activities and new activities that CSO are delivering to empower, advocate and contribute to the promise of ensuring that 'every woman and girl lives a life, free of violence.'

The grantees for 2023 include,

Samoa National Council of Women:

• The SNCW will continue with institutional strengthening for women leaders and community conversations with village women to advocate and prevent domestic violence (DV) and intimate partner violence (IPV).

Samoa Victim Support:

• SVSG will ensure that there is a framework for a well established Crisis Care Centre that is resourced and capacitated to respond to survivors of IPV and DV cases. They will also ensure that IPV/DV response services for women, children and vulnerable groups in the context of post COVID 19 recovery are effective and efficient.

SUNGO:

• The Samoa Umbrella for NGO will continue with capacity building for Civil Society on EVAWG and strengthening CSO EVAWG Taskforce joint advocacy efforts

Nuanua O le Alofa for Disabilities:

• The grant supports the Nuanua o le Alofa to coordinate and conduct a Women with Disabilities Leadership Forum on Sexual Reproductive Health and rights and linking to gender-based violence.

ADRA Samoa:

• The ADRA Samoa will continue to convene and lead multi-stakeholder community-based awareness campaigns to raise awareness on IPV/DV issues and legal and social support services.

Light of Hope –  Toe Fuataina Incorporated:

• The grant will help Light of Hope with their Project Gateway, a counseling and rehabilitation program for young male and female offenders of DV.

Tofa Sinasina Incorporated:

• The grant will help Tofa Sinasina with their counseling programs and awareness raising  for male and female police and correction officers in Upolu and Savaii to better address EVAWG.

Samoa Cultural Center :

• To take their minds away from the pain this programme uses the traditional siva samoa to prevent and advocate against violence towards women and girls

Ailao Club Samoa :

• This grant supports an International Women’s competition for Siva Afi and awareness raising in selected communities to advocate for the prevention of VAWG and women’s empowerment through Siva Afi.

The grantees are on board to start their programme which must be completed by December of this year.

The Spotlight Initiative Samoa programme congratulates and wishes them all the best.