Papali'i Mele Mauala'ivao from UN Women Samoa speaking at Nofotane Project closing ceremony. Photo: UN Women Pacific
Twenty women in Samoa have been singled out for special mention at a ceremony marking women's empowerment.
The women are from the Nofotane Project, a two-year programme aimed at upskilling women who have married into villages where they no longer have direct family support.
Research from Samoa Victim Support shows these women, who are known as nofotane, are more prone to domestic violence and abuse.
UN Women Samoa's Papali'i Mele Mauala'ivao said the project aimed to economically empower nofotane, help them contribute to their communities and gain a sense of pride.
The women of the Nofotane project gathered on Friday for a ceremony marking the end of the project. Photo: UN Women Pacific
Craft for sale made by women from the Nofotane Project, Samoa. Photo: UN Women Pacific
Papali'i said 5000 women were trained, 500 new entrepreneurs established and 237 villages were reached.
She said a ceremony was held today to mark the programme's end.
"Having the market where all the participants who had learned these skill-sets could bring the items that they'd made and to sell them, showing off what they'd learned," she said.
"But also to recognise those twenty women who were the star earners, I.E. the ones who had earned income over a thousand Tala [Samoa dollars] from what they'd been able to make."
