SUVA, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi has lamented the island nation's sad state of family violence, calling on the nation to acknowledge the suffering it has caused many generations.
According to the Samoan Observer on Thursday, Tuilaepa issued the call on Wednesday when he launched the Report of the National Public Inquiry into Family Violence in Samoa.
Revealing that family violence affects almost all families in Samoa, the report found that 9 in 10 women consulted during the Inquiry said they had experienced physical or emotional violence in the hands of family members while six out of 10 women experienced intimate partner violence in their lifetime.
The rates of family violence in Samoa are higher than the global average, according to the report.
The Inquiry survey of 1,500 people found 86 percent of respondents had experienced physical violence in a family setting, and nearly one in 10 Samoan women have been raped by a family member in their lifetime.
A study by the Samoa Ministry of Women in 2017 found that only 11 percent of victims reported their experiences of family violence.
Tuilaepa said it was time Samoans addressed the issue.
For the sake of the future, it is up to them and especially those in positions of power to stand up and be counted to demonstrate their dedication to Samoa, he said, adding that it is time for them all to stand together for the sake of their future generations.
