Leilua Lino is a Samoan

human rights activist A human rights defender or human rights activist is a person who, individually or with others, acts to promote or protect human rights. They can be journalists, environmentalists, whistleblowers, trade unionists, lawyers, teachers, housing camp ...

, who works to raise awareness of gender-based violence and violence against children in Samoa, through her own personal experience. She was a finalist in 2018 for the

International Children's Peace Prize The International Children's Peace Prize is awarded annually to a child who has made a significant contribution to advocating children's rights and improving the situation of vulnerable children such as orphans, child labourers and children with ...

. In 2019, she was the first recipient of a

Commonwealth Innovation for Sustainable Development Award A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from th ...

(Peace).

Biography

Lino comes from Asau in Savaii. At the age of nine years old, Lino was raped by her father, who she took to court seven years later, leading to his imprisonment in 2018 for twenty-nine years. In order to support her after the rape, from 2011 she attended

Samoa Victim Support Group Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands ( Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands ( Manono and Apolima); ...

(SVSG), a non-governmental organisation that offers help and advocacy to survivors. They supported Lino to file her police report against her father. She came into contact with SVSG through her church. Lino is an ambassador for Samoa Victim Support Group (SVSG) and raises awareness about abuse through schools and community programmes. In 2017 she created the first of a number of peace gardens, in order to help young people process trauma. In 2018, she was nominated for and became a finalist in the International Children’s Peace Prize, coordinated by the

KidsRights Foundation The KidsRights Foundation is an international children's aid and advocacy organisation based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The foundation was founded in 2003, by Marc Dullaert and Inge Ikink. KidsRights raises funds for independent local aid pro ...

. She was also nominated by the Samoa Observer as a 'Person of the Year' for 2018. In 2019 she was presented with a

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with " republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from th ...

Innovation for Sustainable Development Award by

Prince Harry Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, (Henry Charles Albert David; born 15 September 1984) is a member of the British royal family. He is the younger son of Charles III and his first wife Diana, Princess of Wales. He is fifth in the line of succ ...

. She won in the Peace category. The award recognised her contributions to supporting survivors of child sexual abuse.

Reference

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lino, Leilua Samoan women activists Samoan activists Women's rights activists Living people Year of birth missing (living people) People from Vaisigano Women's rights in Samoa Violence against women in Samoa