03/09/2026
Thankful for We Rise Coalition supporting us to CSW
Factors abetting injustice
Maluseu Doris Tulifau, a feminist from Samoa shared the tribulations of women of the Pacific region in seeking justice. She said that, “From a Pacific perspective, justice is not experienced through a single system. Women navigate a continuum of justice systems: formal courts, customary governance, faith-based authority, and family negotiation. For most women, particularly in rural, remote, and outer island communities, customary and community-based justice mechanisms remain the primary entry point for justice. They are geographically closer, faster, and less costly than formal courts.”
“But women are also clear-eyed about the limitations. In cases of family violence and sexual violence, customary processes often prioritise reconciliation, compensation, or restoring harmony between families over women’s safety and accountability for harm. Family reputation, church authority, and social hierarchy frequently pressurise survivors to remain silent about violence. This cultural silence continues to protect perpetrators,” added Doris.
Doris also shared the structural inequalities and challenges – like climate change, economic inequality, digital harassment and exploitation – which the Pacific women have to confront while navigating systems of justice.
“Climate change, rising seas, displacement, extreme weather conditions are intensifying poverty, insecurity, and violence against women and girls. Climate change is not only an environmental issue – it is a justice crisis. Without economic security, women cannot leave violent situations or pursue legal action. Across the Pacific, decades of neoliberal economic policies have weakened the very systems that women rely on for protection and justice. Digital harassment, exploitation, and surveillance are increasingly affecting women and girls across the region,” said Doris of Samoa.
To add fuel to fire, Pacific voices also remain structurally excluded at the global level. Small island states and grassroots organisations face visa barriers, funding limitations, and structural exclusion from global spaces like CSW. Representation matters to achieve real justice, feels Doris.
Women and girls face numerous obstacles: legal, financial, geographical, and institutional barriers that hinder their access to gender justice, bodily autonomy, sexual and reproductive health servi...
