The fa’afafifine community in Samoa takes pride in their cultural identity. Generally known as and now considered a condoned community in Samoa as heirs and benefificiaries to customary land and matai titles in fa’asamoa or Samoan culture. In spite of that position in society, they continue to encounter discrimination and stigma due to their gender identity and sexual expression. They are often subjected to cyberbullying and gender-based violence,’ including domestic violence. One of the reasons for this thoroughly researched publication is to note and analyse all forms of violence and discrimination against fa’afafine and fa’atama and their lived experiences. My Girls Club was a core part of this research for the Samoa fa’afafine and fa’atama community.
This study was coordinated by the Asia Pacific Transgender Network (APTN) and led in the country by My Girls Club. This study has been adapted from Transgender Europe (TGEU)’s Transrespect versus Transphobia (TvT): The social experiences of trans and gender-diverse people in 8 countries: Colombia, India, the Philippines, Serbia, Thailand, Tonga, Turkey and Venezuela.