Otago NEW ZEALAND — A new study recommends Samoan churches need to be actively involved in solving the Island’s domestic violence problems.
It’s estimated 60 per cent of women on the island nation are the victim of spousal violence.
From the age of five, 99 per cent of Samoans are affiliated to a church – one of the highest rates in the world.
That’s why a study by The New Zealand Institute of Research unsurprisingly points to the church playing a pivotal role in making a difference to high domestic violence rates.
But there’s a problem.
"Based on the research, the church is very unlikely to jump on board or join in the fight against domestic violence," says Mercy Ah Siu-Maliko of Otago University.
According to the lead author of the study, the majority of churches in Samoa promote a conservative and patriarchal view of Christianity.
She says the bible is used to justify men as head of the household and their presumed superiority over women.
Village social systems also define a woman's place - only six per cent of them Matai - or Chiefs.
"When they marry, they are treated like second-class citizens and their rights are not recognised," says Mercy Ah Siu-Maliko.
The study recommends churches change the interpretation of the bible and not be so literal as well as offer a message that domestic violence is not only a sin, but a crime.