This Samoa Report on domestic violence is one of four Baseline Review updates carried out under the PPDVP, the others being for Kiribati, Tonga and the Cook Islands. As with the baseline research, this study adopted the definition of domestic violence used by the PPDVP: that is, ‘violence against women by a partner or spouse’.
The broad aims of the research were to ascertain/assess the current state of:
- data available in each country
- the extent of domestic violence and people’s responses to it
- agencies’ and communities’ views of domestic violence, particularly how things had changed since the baseline reviews were carried out in 2006.
The research team worked closely with the NZPOL mentor in each project country to develop the research approach and timeframes. We also saw it as important to employ a Pacific research framework. To achieve maximum involvement and sharing of ideas, we partnered with one non-government organisation (NGO) throughout the planning and implementation of research activities. This had the dual aim of empowering Pacific communities by fostering enquiry and debate on domestic violence, and consolidating ongoing partnerships for future PPDVP activities. The research was conducted predominantly in urban areas and the team acknowledges that the report findings may not be applicable to rural regions or outer islands.
