A report on people with disabilities in Samoa has praised the Fa’aSamoa and its contribution to community acceptance, but also expressed concern that it can create “community dependents” and not independent individuals.
The report by the United Nations Fund for Population Agency was a needs assessment of sexual and reproductive health and rights, gender-based violence, and access to essential services on women and youth with disabilities.
“The community values of Fa’aSamoa contributes to the support and acceptance many Samoans with disabilities experience in their families and villages,” stated the report.
“However, the Fa’aSamoa emphasis on community can also contribute to the perception of people with disabilities as community dependents, rather than independent individuals capable of making their own decisions.”
The report also said, that so called “empowerment programs” targeting people with disabilities is limited in terms of their effectiveness.
The report concludes that gender inequality and entrenched cultural gender-roles also persist in Samoa and impact women and young people with disabilities and their access to sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence services.
It points out that, since 2016, there has been steady progress by Samoa in advancing disability rights through government policies and investment in the Samoan disability community.
“Some of these success stories include the launching of the National Policy for Persons with Disabilities 2021-2031 in July, last year.”
