BAGUIO CITY – A city prosecutor on Friday called for continued advocacies to address violence against women and children (VAWC), noting that cases continue to be recorded.
“Mataas pa rin [ang kaso] kaya tayo nagkakaroon ng campaign at hindi ito nagtatapos ngayon, but a continuing campaign (We need to continue the campaign because we still have a lot of cases. The campaign does not end today but should be pursued),” Assistant City Prosecutor Ruth Bernabe, head of the Cordillera Inter-Agency Task Force against trafficking, said in her speech during the closing program of the 18-day campaign to end VAWC at the Department of Social Welfare and Development-Cordillera Administrative Region (DSWD-CAR) here.
Citing a 2022 task force data, Bernabe said one of five women still experiences physical, emotional and psychological abuses.
Bernabe said abuses happen inside homes, which should be a haven filled with love, affection and care.
“While we empower women in the agencies, we should start from our home, from ourselves by participating and continuously being participants in ending violence against women and children,” she said.
She also stressed the need to stop victim-blaming, with some citing women’s decision to wear skimpy outfits and drinking alcohol as reasons why they are taken advantage of.
“I don’t know if I should be happy that we have not recorded here a single case of online sexual exploitation against children. I hope that this means we do not have cases, otherwise it will be a pity that children are becoming victims and they are not given justice,” she added.
Involving the men
DSWD-CAR Director Maria Aplaten said the ending of the annual campaign, held Nov. 25 to Dec. 12, should not be the end of the bid to protect women and kids, thus, the establishment of the Men Opposed to VAW Everywhere (MOVE) organizations.
“For a long time, we promote the advocacy for the women, but this is a collective concern so let us involve the men. They would understand (the goal) when they are provided with training and would understand the importance of their participation in the vision to end VAW,” she said.
Aplaten said MOVE organizations have been established in 33 of 77 local governments in the region.
Half of the six provincial governments, six regional line agencies, and two state universities and colleges also have their own MOVE groups, she said.
“We continue to encourage the creation of the MOVE organizations so that there will be more men who will become more aware that they should not be perpetrators of VAWC,” she added. (PNA)