The Australian Volunteers Program strives to provide a safe, supportive and equitable environment for LGBTQIA+ volunteers, approved accompanying dependents, partner organisations and all program staff. The Australian Volunteers Program has supported queer volunteers in all program countries and has ongoing connections with community organisations in many countries and regions in which the program operates.
This guide introduces a snapshot of the local context for queer and gender diverse people. LGBTQIA+ program participants must be aware of the country context before undertaking an assignment. If you are an LGBTQIA+ volunteer, you will need to:
- do your own research and understand what the local law says you can and can't do when in-country
- follow the local laws, even if you disagree with them
- be aware of the legal protections for LGBTQIA+ people in your destinations
- consider if you’re comfortable living and working in a place where you may not be able to live as openly as you can in some parts of Australia.
Language
Terminology may differ across urban and rural contexts, provinces or ethnic and cultural groups. Information sourced online can be outdated or inaccurate. For current and accurate information, please confirm with an appropriate civil society organisation (CSO) or ask your in-country team.
The following terms are used to describe the cultural identity of gender diverse people in Samoa:
Fa’afafine — who are usually assigned male at birth and may take on feminine expression and gender roles. Fa’atama — who are usually assigned female at birth and may take on masculine expressions and gender roles.
These terms relate to a person’s identity, and not their sexual orientation. For example, a fa’atama may identify as being gay, straight, bisexual or lesbian. These identities challenge western ideas of sex and gender.
Legal and policy context
Same-sex sexual acts between men are criminalised in Samoa, with a maximum prison sentence of five years. The definition of “sexual connections” in this law specifies oral and anal sex, inferring that other sexual acts are permitted. Sex work is illegal and can result in three years in prison, while brothel management can lead to a 10-year prison sentence.
In 2011, Samoa became a signatory of the United Nation’s Joint Statement on Ending Acts of Violence and Related Human Rights Violations Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity. The Samoa Fa’afafine Association (SFA) is a member of Samoa’s advisory board to the National Human Rights Institute. In 2016, during the second Universal Periodic Review cycle, Samoa “noted” recommendations for decriminalising same-sex relations and creating further protections against LGBTQIA+ discrimination.
Lesbians, bisexual women, Fa’atama and intersex populations are not referenced in Samoan legal and policy frameworks.
Discrimination
In Samoa, there is a lack of constitutional protections and national laws that protect against discrimination and incitement to hatred based on one’s gender or sexual identities. However, there are some protections; A person must not directly or indirectly discriminate against an employee or applicant for employment based on sexual orientation, sex, gender or real or perceived HIV status, amongst other grounds. Hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation or gender identity are also criminalised.
Cultural and societal attitudes
Fa’afafine Week launched in 2020 with the support of Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Dr. Sa’ilele Malielegaoi, who attended the opening ceremony. He publicly noted the achievements of the SFA and commended their work. Civil society’s attitudes toward the fa’afafine community remain positive and accepting overall.
Religion can play a role in perpetuating violence and institutionalised discrimination against queer communities. Despite these challenges, there are rural areas where fa’afafine and fa’atama are village matais, deacons at church, choir masters and farmers who lead prosperous lives free from discrimination.
'There are also many, many of our fa’afafine who are teachers. They are training the children to grow up to be better, to be better in the future. And that’s how we’re contributing to society. We can be leaders, we can be CEOs, we can be Parliament members, we can be Prime Minister, but we haven’t got there yet. But ... we will get there.' — Samoan Fa’afafine, She/Her
Health and wellbeing
National healthcare is accessible to everyone in Samoa, however there is no national healthcare specifically oriented toward supporting LGBTQIA+ people. Samoa Family Health Association (SFHA) under the International Planned Parenthood Foundation is an alternative provider of sexual and reproductive healthcare in Samoa. Staff have been trained to handle, treat, counsel and make referral cases with LGBTQIA+ members. They work closely with the Ministry of Health.
There is limited capacity and expertise amongst medical professionals on LGBTQIA+ healthcare, with funding and resources also limited. CSOs such as the Fa’afafine Association and The Rogers place an emphasis on psychosocial support services and wellbeing activities.
'Under the SFA umbrella we have 10 sister clubs and us, The Rogers. These sister clubs are community-led wellbeing groups who look out for each other, have social events to enjoy, have fun and support each other. The clubs are all across Upolu and Savaii and they focus on the day-to-day wellbeing of members so that when we all gather together as SFA. We go united.' — Vanila Heather
HIV infection in Samoa is low, with only 24 cumulative cases between 1990 and 2017. At present, SFA offers the only trans/fa’afafine-specific HIV screening program supported by the Ministry of Health. The organisation is active across urban and rural Samoa in promoting HIV and sexually transmitted illness (STI) prevention, including health promotion and voluntary HIV and syphilis testing during the Annual Fa’afafine Forum, as part of the Miss Fa’afafine Pageant Week.
There is no sex education in Samoan schools. Fa’afafine and fa’atama youth face bullying and no access suitable toilets at school, causing many to drop out. LGBTQIA+ teachers may also face discrimination.
Media
SFA created a media guide for journalists and bloggers as a resource for reporting fairly and non-discriminatorily about LGBTQIA+ Samoans. SFA and The Rogers have received positive media coverage and use Facebook to reach out to their communities. In Samoa, Facebook is more popular than WhatsApp, Instagram or Twitter.
The censorship Board occasionally censors movies depicting LGBTQIA+ people or content. While there is cultural recognition of the fa’afafine and fa’atama, this recognition does not necessarily extend to broader acceptance of LGBTQIA+ people.
The Pride Guides were developed in 2022 and updated in 2025 by consultants and experts based in countries in which the program operates.
