The Safe Strong Communities Program (SSCP) is implemented by the Anglican Church of Melanesia (ACOM) in Solomon Islands.
The Safe Strong Communities Program (SSCP) built on two previous projects and its overall goal was to build community capacity to uphold the rights of women and youth through the creation of improved economic opportunity and a reconstructed understanding of gender.
Solomon Islands has one of the highest rates of family and sexual violence (FSV) in the world with 64 per cent of women aged 15–49 reporting experiencing physical and/or sexual abuse by a partner. A situation exacerbated by the arrival of COVID-19 in the Pacific in 2020. The fear and anxiety caused by extended lockdowns forced women to isolate with their abusers which, in addition to increased economic strain brought about on families led to increased levels of domestic violence.
The project has been funded by the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP) together with donations from the Australian public.
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