help deliver justice, decide on strategic priorities nor design programmes aimed at addressing it. It is therefore important to consider the extent to which these groups participate in key institutions (the Village Fono, Parliament and the Church). The lack of equal representation has already been readily acknowledged by the Government. “Exclusion of women’s voices in local and national governance may be counterproductive to the issue of family violence.” Sixth Periodic State Report to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, Inquiry document 90 7.5.1 Village Fono Women make up only 11% of all matai in Samoa, and only 5.5% of all village-based matai. This indicates that only half of female matai live in village settings and thus are theoretically easily able to participate in Village Fono meetings.44 A matai title is a pre-requisite not only for having a voice in local Government but also in running for Parliament.45 Therefore, a lack of female matais will inevitably lead to underrepresentation in Parliament too. There are 21 villages (approximately 8% of all villages)46 in Samoa where women are not allowed to hold a matai title, affecting the ability of women to stand for election to Parliament in 16 out of 41 constituencies (40%). Those who are matai are still severely restricted in their ability to participate in the Village Fono meetings and play a role in the decision making process. This is due to formal and informal barriers which exist. In 36 villages women are recognized as matai but are not allowed to sit in Village Fono meetings.47 This appears to be a formalization of the attitude which leads to 79% of women matai choosing not to attend Village Fono meetings due to feeling unwelcomed in male-orientated environments.48 44 Samoa Bureau of Statistics. (2011). Samoa Census 2011. Retrieved from http://www.sbs.gov.ws/index.php/new-documentlibrary?view=download&fileId=1388. See also Government of Samoa. (2017). Sixth Periodic State Report to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. CEDAW/C/WSM/6. Document 90 of Inquiry anthology. 45 Electoral Act 1993, section 5. 46 Samoa Bureau of Statistics. (2011). Samoa Census 2011. Retrieved from http://www.sbs.gov.ws/index.php/new-documentlibrary?view=download&fileId=1388. See also Government of Samoa. (2017). Sixth Periodic State Report to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. CEDAW/C/WSM/6. Document 90 Inquiry anthology. 47 National University of Samoa. (2015). “Political representation and women’s empowerment in Samoa.” Final Report 1. Retrieved from http://samoanstudies.ws/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Centre-for-Samoan-Studies_Final-Report-Volume-1English.pdf. Document 63 Inquiry anthology. 48 See Samoa Office of the Ombudsman/ NHRI. (2015). State of Human Rights Report 2015: For Samoa by Samoa. Apia: Government Printers; Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development. (2017). Samoa Family Safety Study. Document 46 in Inquiry anthology, accessible at www.ombudsman.gov.ws; and SPC and UNFPA. (2006). Samoa Family Health and Safety Study 2000. Document 83 in Inquiry anthology, accessible at www.ombudsman.gov.ws.