Domestic violence remains one of the most pressing and persistent social challenges in the Pacific, with far-reaching implications for community wellbeing, gender equality, and national development. In Tuvalu, as in many Pacific Island countries, responses to domestic violence are shaped by intersecting influences of culture, religion, tradition, and colonial legacies. While international frameworks and donor-driven initiatives have contributed to the development of national legislation and policies, they often fall short in addressing the realities of how domestic violence is understood and experienced at the community level.

This report emerges from a commitment to listen more deeply to local voices. It challenges the dominance of externally imposed models by presenting empirical findings grounded in the lived experiences and professional insights of Tuvaluan frontline responders, government officials, religious leaders, and civil society representatives. The study critically engaged with the disconnect between institutional definitions and community-level understandings of domestic violence, providing a nuanced analysis of its causes and manifestations, and appropriate responses in Tuvaluan society.

What distinguishes this work is its focus on context, its refusal to universalise, and its insistence that policy, policing, and service provision must be informed by local knowledge systems and practices. It offers not only a critique of current limitations but also practical, culturally anchored strategies for reform. These insights are vital, not only for Tuvalu but for regional and international actors committed to developing more inclusive, effective, and grounded approaches to gender-based violence.

This report is an invitation to policy-makers, practitioners, and community leaders to reframe their understanding of domestic violence through a Pacific lens that honours tradition, engages with modernity, and centres the agency of local actors.