On the surface, Vanuatu appears to be an idyllic paradise, a dream destination for holidaymakers. Yet beyond the tourist sights, many families face the troubling reality of disconnection and domestic abuse. Renata, a Ni-Vanuatu woman and Bible Society South Pacific (BSSP) project manager, highlights the pervasiveness of this issue, saying, “Domestic abuse is so ingrained in Vanuatu culture that people are living in it without realising. Even the women don’t realise it.”
In this patriarchal society where beating your wife is a marker of “being a man,”, BSSP face a daunting task. Renata sits with village chiefs and church leaders to offer support and challenge mindsets about abuse in families. With the support of Bible Society Australia, BSSP is providing transformative, Bible-based training about domestic abuse in villages throughout Vanuatu.
Missionaries Dan and Jen, who served in a village in Vanuatu for two years, share just how commonplace and brutal domestic violence is in the community. “They say Vanuatu is the happiest country in the world. You don’t have to scratch very deep to find a lot of dysfunction in families and villages, and a lot of violence,” says Dan. Jen adds, “It’s hard to imagine how much domestic violence there is. You see it. You hear it in people’s houses. It was really widespread in the village where we were living.”
The couple often witnessed the aftermath of abuse, comforting women who bore bruises and other injuries suffered in their homes. On one particularly distressing occasion, they were pulled into the fray when a husband attacked his wife in public. “We found this huddle of women around a woman who was lying on the ground, practically unconscious. The husband had grabbed her outside their home and beat her with stones on her back,” shares Dan.
Statistics underscore the gravity of the situation: 60 percent of women aged 15-49 in Vanuatu have experienced physical and/or sexual violence, and 69 percent have faced coercive control by an intimate partner. 1 Despite efforts by the government and NGOs to address domestic abuse, significant social and legal consequences for such incidents remain lacking.
Dan and Jen did everything they could to help the women practically and challenge this culture. They were grateful to hear of the inroads into community and leadership that BSSP is making with Domestic Abuse training.
The Domestic Abuse training program offered by BSSP, which was adapted from the Trauma Healing program, uses Scripture to challenge cultural norms and the acceptance of domestic abuse. This program, translated into the Bislama language, reaches villages across Vanuatu. “We tell them, ‘God is ready to help you. You can have a good life. You go back to that house and pray together, asking God to come and heal your family. And he will,’” shares Renata.
Ledua , Operations Manager of BSSP in Fiji, emphasizes the clarity this training provides regarding the relationship between husband and wife. “Instead of us being trapped by our mindset about what culture says about this issue, the Word of God unlocks people’s understanding. That’s the main thing, and it works,” she says. According to Ledua, this training goes beyond campaigns and public marches, offering concrete, community-based solutions.
Renata notes that the BSSP training stands out because it focuses on protecting the entire family and bringing them back to God. “It’s a learned practice. It’s a learned attitude. If a boy sees the father hit the mother, he grows to do the same. It’s a cycle we must break. I encourage them to read the Bible and to pray,” she says.
Dan and Jen observed the significant issue of fatherlessness in Vanuatu. “There are a lot of kids without fathers. They’re observing their mates, beating up their wives and not being taught very well,” says Dan. The BSSP training aims to address this problem by encouraging healthier family dynamics grounded in biblical principles.
Ledua acknowledges the challenges of implementing Domestic Abuse training in communities. “Renata is in a battlefield with this program, but she’s pushing through with it. One of her biggest strengths is her network,” she says. Renata connects with the community through church leaders and local women’s agencies to serve people. The Vanuatu police have also been supportive, inviting BSSP into their awareness programs.
Even the South Pacific Community has recognized the effectiveness of the BSSP program and have approached them for support. “We’ve been training the church leaders and working with the Vanuatu Council of Churches (VCC). The Secretariate of Pacific Community (SPC) is eager to partner with BSSP to tackle this issue,” shares Renata.
Renata feels a deep calling to this work. “I feel that this is the job I have been waiting for throughout my life. I have always found myself speaking up for people. Going to church, being faithful. I’m always trying my best to help other people and speaking up,” she says.
She shares her vision of bringing the training to her own family and community. “ My mother’s family and my father’s family both need healing. They are suffering too. After the Christmas holidays this year, I will go back to my home island to do the training with my family and another village,” says Renata. As well as the training, BSSP will also upskill the communities in commercial skills such as banana chips and bread making.
BSSP has a big vision to expand this domestic abuse training to reach all communities in Vanuatu and other Pacific nations, with church leaders championing the cause. “We are truly grateful to BSA and supporters for funding the program. There are so many hurt women and children out there who are victims of domestic abuse. The program helps raise awareness of domestic abuse and how God’s word can heal the wounds and restore relationships,” says Ledua.
Through the dedicated efforts of BSSP with the support of BSA supporters, there is hope for a future where families in Vanuatu can break free from the cycle of domestic abuse and find healing and restoration in God’s love.
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1 Vanuatu National Survey on Women’s Lives and Family Relationships, the Vanuatu Women’s Centre in partnership with the Vanuatu National Statistics Office, May 2011
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