Outcome WSM_D_3.2

Women and Girls, especially from particular groups (with disabilities, rural, sexual and gender minorities) from target countries, who experience violence have access to quality essential services (health, social service, police and justice) to recover from violence.

Significant progress towards achievement of the outcome. Women and children survivors of violence in Samoa will now have better response, referral and coordination of gender-based violence services with the release of their new protocol to guide the referral pathway between survivors and multi-sector service providers, the Inter-Agency Essential Services Guide for Responding to Cases of Gender-Based Violence (IESG) . Evidence shows that gender-based violence and child abuse are serious issues in Samoa and standard operating procedures for responding to cases across agencies and sectors is critical to a successful response for addressing violence against women, as well ensuring child protection. The IESG is a culmination of two years of work, including national consultations with key stakeholders from relevant sectors and CSOs; and technical drafting, review, design, and translation of the final guidelines. The IESG was launched on 29 January 2021, hosted by MWCSD, with the Associate Minister present and with video presentations by UN Women and UNICEF. 100 people participated in the launch (59 female including 3 with a disability, 41 male including 1 with a disability) including members of the media . UN Women provided GBV technical assistance in the development of the IESG, as well as in coordinating the different agencies that contributed to the IESG, the drafting and hiring of Graphic Designer and the procurement of a printing firm, and the coordination of the launch venue and promotional material. Two-hundred copies of the IESG were printed in Samoan and English languages and posters of specific referral pathways were shared with all participants.

Women and Girls, especially from particular groups (with disabilities, rural, sexual and gender minorities) from target countries, who experience violence have access to quality essential services (health, social service, police and justice) to recover from violence.

Women and girls have increased access to essential services, especially those from marginalized groups and geographically hard to reach locations through the ongoing partnership between UN Women and the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Development (MWCSD) to strengthen the multi-sectoral service delivery coordination and response protocols. VAWG is being proactively addressed at the at village and community levels through the launch and rollout of the Samoan Talanoa Toolkit, a first of its kind in Samoa, contributing to access to essential services, alongside primary prevention, particularly beneficial for remote and maritime women. National efforts centered on increasing awareness and access to services for women and girls with disabilities and supporting strategic planning with the incoming MWCSD CEO on the roll out and uptake of the Inter-Agency Essential Services Guidelines.