Maluseu Doris Tulifau is a

Samoan American Samoan Americans are Americans of Samoan origin, including those who emigrated from the United States Territory of American Samoa and immigrants from the Independent State of Samoa to the United States. Samoan Americans are Pacific Islanders in ...

human rights activist, who campaigns against domestic violence in Samoa. She is the founder of Brown Girl Woke (B.G.W.), a non-profit organization that supports women and girls in

Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa and known until 1997 as Western Samoa, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania, in the South Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu), two smaller, inhabited ...

to counter gender-based violence.

Early life and education

Tulifau grew up in a

Samoan Samoan may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the Samoan Islands, an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean ** Something of, from, or related to Samoa, a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands ** Something of, from, ...

family in San Francisco. Her parents are Samoan, but had grown up in New Zealand before emigrating to the United States. After Tulifau completed high school, her family moved to

Modesto Modesto ( ; ) is the county seat and largest city of Stanislaus County, California, United States. With a population of 218,069 according to 2022 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, it is the 19th-most populous city in California. Modesto is locate ...

, where they purchased a church since her father was a pastor. She studied for a BA in Education and Psychology at

Sacramento State University California State University, Sacramento (CSUS, Sacramento State, or informally Sac State) is a public university in Sacramento, California, United States. Founded in 1947 as Sacramento State College, it is part of the California State Universit ...

, and also studied there for an MA in Multicultural Education. She considered doing a PhD, but ultimately wanted to work within community settings.

Career

Tulifau is the founder of Brown Girl Woke (B.G.W.), which she initially established as an

online campaign A protest (also called a demonstration, remonstration, or remonstrance) is a public act of objection, disapproval or dissent against political advantage. Protests can be thought of as acts of cooperation in which numerous people cooperate ...

in 2014; she then moved to Samoa in 2018 to expand the organisation. B.G.W. is a feminist group that supports women and girls and campaigns against domestic violence in Samoa. The group uses social media and meetings on college campuses to raise awareness of women's rights, with both men and women joining the group. As of 2023 there were regular meetings at

National University of Samoa The National University of Samoa () is the only national university in Samoa. Established in 1984 by an act of parliament, it is coeducational and provides certificate, diploma, and undergraduate degree programs, as well as technical and vocationa ...

and

The University of the South Pacific The University of the South Pacific (USP) is a public research university with locations spread throughout a dozen countries in Oceania. Established in 1968, the university is organised as an intergovernmental organisation and is owned by the gov ...

, as well as schools based initiatives. During the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

the organisation received a donation of face masks to distribute to community members. In the course of her career Tulifau has spoken out on how the Samoan customary law, '' ifoga'', is not suitable for use in cases of domestic violence. She has also called on the Samoan government to have a zero tolerance approach to gender-based violence. In 2024 she attended the 4th Small Island Developing States Conference and Gender Equality Forum, along with Samoan government officials and other activists, such as Nadia Meredith Hunt and

Adelaide Nafoi Adelaide ( , ; ) is the capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city cen ...

. Tulifau is also a podcaster, and television and radio host.

Personal life

Tulifau is a survivor of gender-based violence. She has two siblings. Palusami is her favourite food from Polynesia.

References

External links

Making it Safe to Speak about Sexual Abuse
(

TedX TED Conferences, LLC (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is an American-Canadian non-profit media organization that posts international talks online for free distribution under the slogan "Ideas Change Everything" (previously "Ideas Worth Sprea ...

)
Talanoa with 'Brown Girl Woke' founder Male seu Doris Tulifau
(

RNZ Radio New Zealand (), commonly known as RNZ or Radio NZ, is a New Zealand public service broadcaster and Crown entity. Established under the Radio New Zealand Act 1995, it operates news and current affairs station, RNZ National, and a classica ...

)
Weaving Stories: Two Women Speak
(''

Sapiens Sapiens, a Latin word meaning "one who knows", may refer to: People * Berengarius Sapiens, a designation for Berengar the Wise, count of Toulouse (814-835) and duke of Septimania (832-835) * Cato the Elder (234 BC–149 BC), known by the cognomen ...

'' podcast) {{DEFAULTSORT:Tulifau, Doris Living people 1990s births Year of birth uncertain 21st-century Samoan women Activists from San Francisco American people of Samoan descent California State University, Sacramento alumni Samoan activists Samoan women activists Women human rights activists Women's rights activists