Churches in Samoa have been asked to admit that as religious institutions they also have problems and to stop sweeping issues such as violence "under the carpet".

Different churches in Samoa have united to look at how they can tackle the issue of violence in homes and help put an end to the levels of violence found in homes around the country.

A three-day event started on Tuesday at the Tooa Salamasina Hall in Sogi with the program run by the National Council of Christian Churches in collaboration with the Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC) in Suva, Fiji. 

A consultant from the Pacific Conference of Churches, Reverend Dr.Cliff Bird said the conference was about attaining a biblical approach to end gender-based violence.

"This initiative has two objectives: first, to introduce gender justice theology (GJT) in Samoa. Gender justice is a biblical approach that aims to end violence against women and girls, children, and people with disabilities," he said.

"Secondly, it is to introduce the gender status card (GSG) which is a result of the Pacific Conference of Churches General Assembly in Auckland in 2018. GSC is a self-assessment tool that churches can use to determine and assess where they are in relation to addressing gender issues in churches."

The first two days of the program gave the opportunity to the leaders of the churches to discuss the issues in the community and how the church plays its part in promoting gender equality, elimination of violence, and finding solutions.

On the last day of the conference, the floor was opened to the service providers in Samoa, who are working in the space of ending discrimination and the fight against gender-based violence and the link to the role of the church. 

According to Dr. Cliff, the presentations from the different service providers really helped motivate church ministers and church leaders to get involved and bridge this gap. 

"I hope that after pastors and their wives have heard the presentations, they will admit that even the church has problems," Rev. Cliff added. 

He believes that if church leaders admit that there are different forms of violence – seen in Christian societies without sweeping it under the carpet – people will stop normalising violent actions, and avoid being ignorant. 

A representative of the Methodist Church youth from Papaloa Sinamoga, Faatauvaa Tavita, explained the usefulness of this program from a young person's perspective. 

"I believe that this effort will greatly help equip young people with religious strategies to help wipe away violence and its harmful impacts on the communities. Violence is everywhere and even young people are sometimes taking part in brawls and other violent acts.

"We need to engage youth in productive initiatives like this so that they will learn and take notice of the right ways to reduce the rising cases of violence in order to prepare for a successful future. 

"The participation of the youth in this seminar is another way to ensure that our voices are heard, and our input is considered." 

The last day of the event was treated as 'Black Thursday', where the participants had to wear black, which according to Rev. Cliff is their contribution to the commemoration of the global movement to support those who have faced painful experiences in their lives because of violence. 

"We can't run away from these issues, but we need to stick together and move forward to stand in solidarity with women, girls, and children who are facing violence, and say that we are with them in this fight," he said. 

The desk of 'Just and Safe Pacific Communities for Women and Men' organised the gathering which was facilitated by the National Council of Christian Churches with assistance from Samoa's Ministry of Women, Community, and Social Development.