Satitoa village residents have embraced and are participating in a survey, whose data researchers will use to determine the effectiveness of interventions to address violence against women and girls.

Approximately 130 men and women of Satitoa participated in the Samoa Village Health Survey this week as one of the 10 participating villages in the EVE Project (Evidence for Violence Prevention in the Extreme) according to a media release issued on Friday by the non-profit organisation.

The survey is part of a research study led by University College London, and is implemented in Samoa by the Samoa Victim Support Group (SVSG), National University of Samoa (NUS), and the Samoa Bureau of Statistics (SBS). It looks at understanding the effectiveness of an intervention designed to address violence against women and girls.

According to the lead researcher Dr. Jenevieve Mannell, “the Satitoa community have been very cooperative, and the EVE members from Satitoa are acknowledged for coordinating the participants to the survey.”

Trained enumerators referred from the Samoa Bureau of Statistics have been conducting the survey using a survey application uploaded on tablets to ensure the integrity of the data collected.

The role of the trained leaders of Satitoa – who are SVSG village representatives recruited as local researchers since 2020 and referred to as the EVE Team – was specifically to coordinate the participants in the survey, where to conduct the interviews, and how to gain local permission.

Most notable during the survey administration at Satitoa was the boldness of the village leaders and the residents to speak up about what works, what they have experienced and what needs to improve within their respective community, to support the prevention of violence, added the SVSG media release.

The survey is specifically for the 10 villages (eight in Upolu and two in Savai'i), that are part of the research study which looks at developing an indigenous approach to preventing violence against women.

SVSG President Siliniu Lina Chang acknowledged the support from the village council of Satitoa to the EVE Project, the Catholic Church for the use of the church hall and the men and women of Satitoa for their willingness to participate.