New Pasifika podcast series launches to tackle sexual violence prevention

Le Va’s Atu-Mai violence prevention team was excited to launch Le Va’s first podcast this March, with an initial series focusing on sexual violence prevention.

Offering fresh dynamic conversations with carefully selected guests, the Atu-Mai programme’s podcast episodes focus on discussions with survivors, advocates and experts who are all working towards ending sexual violence and child sexual abuse.

This first podcast series explores systemic factors that contribute to sexual harm, and emphasises the importance of community and robust systems when it comes to prevention.

It also highlights how understanding risk and protective factors for sexual violence prevention is key.

The first episode features Moeapulu Frances Tagaloa and her husband Timo Tagaloa.

Timo Tagaloa, Moeapulu Frances Tagaloa, Sara Vui-Talitu, Paul Tupou-Vea

Frances is a survivor of child sexual abuse in a faith care organisation and her talanoa during the podcast, with her husband in support, is emotional, honest and courageous.

“Just years navigating life and trauma, dealing with life and how do I deal with trusting people. If I’d never been abused, I might have developed into someone quite different,” says Frances.

“It’s a loss I feel quite closely. A loss of a childhood, a loss of happiness and joy that could have been there. The impact of abuse is for a lifetime.”

For a long time, Frances was reluctant to share her story, but the Abuse in Care Commission of Inquiry changed all of that.

“When abuse happens, that vā needs to be put right and for me part of that is speaking up for survivors and part of it for me is wanting to obtain an apology.”

Frances is also keen to have a better system of redress when people are harmed and says this government can do a lot more to bring about change.

Episode two of the podcast, which will be released soon, sees the team interview two church ministers about child sexual abuse prevention in the context of faith and following God.

Taitu’uga Mirofora Mataafa-Komiti, Sonia Pope, Rev. Ikifili Pope, Rev. Uesifili Unasa

One minister is our Le Va matua and board member, Reverend Uesifili Unasa, who says many Pacific people have been brought up in a system where there is a hierarchy and an authority that are important.

“You listen to those above us and so, when our children are put in a place where they  have a low status, the authority system means that they have no voice, they have no say, no position as it were to challenge the way things are, to answer back to something they know is wrong, because our system trains us in our hierarchical cultural ways [that] authority is really important and sacrosanct,” he says.

The Le Va podcast aims to talk about tough topics like violence prevention while ensuring our listeners are kept informed, that what they are hearing is clinically safe, and to help equip people with tools to support them.

This Atu-Mai series of the Le Va podcast was produced as part of ongoing efforts to reduce the stigma, silence and shame by having open and honest discussions about sexual violence.