The Spotlight Initiative community conversations on Thursday at Taumeasina Island Resort had academics, researchers and representatives of the Samoa National Council of Women discuss ways to end violence against women.

Academic and National University of Samoa Senior Lecturer, Mailo Helen Tanielu told the Samoa Observer of the importance of research to inform policy and formulate intervention programmes that would try and combat violence against women and girls and gender-based violence.

She said that it was through research that people working to address the crisis would be able to find out more information and understanding around what happens amongst women and their perpetrators.

"So we got more information today than we ever did thirty years ago because of research and this both qualitative and quantitative research," she said.

She explained that this is research conducted so research that are conducted through individual people and from statistics.

"The Spotlight Initiative is really important this week because it's important to get the views of everyone in Samoa and so that we can get the views, the conversations so that helps to develop the policy that we are trying to develop with is the National Framework for the elimination of violence against women and girls," she said.

According to her, that if there is no research then we would not know what is going on.

“Violence against women and girls violate their rights as women, girls as human beings so ending this violence needs a concerted effort by all you know areas of society like the Government, the culture, the civil society organisations, community, the church and relevant research, relevant research that informs policies and programmes to combat violence against women and girls,” she added.

The Secretary-General of the Samoa National Council of Women, Fuatino Pamela Sua told the Samoa Observer that there must be a concerted effort by everyone.

She explained that the community conversations are to share opinions and have extensive discussions to see how the issue can be addressed while emphasising that the conversation should be extended to others.