Women continue to experience violence, so they must learn to stand up against it – Ina Fadriquela, Gabriela Metro Manila Secretary General
Gabriela leaders from their different city chapters and representatives from organizations of solo parents all over Metro Manila attended a two-day training against violence against women from October 30.
The group said that the training is part of their education campaign in relation to the protests related to United States President Donald Trump’s visit and the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (IDEVAW), both in November.
Gabriela Metro Manila vowed to mobilize thousands on various protests leading to the visit of President Trump for the meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the East Asia Summit (EAS) in the country.
The group blamed the enduring and worsening state of VAWC in the country to the US government’s strong impositions and unfair economic policies to the Philippines.
The women’s group cited issues of foreign interventionism and US-instigated wars in the country including Marawi crisis, US military bases linked to prostitution, and other economic dictates that discriminates women in workplaces, instilling patriarchal and feudal culture to Filipinos, among many other concerns.
In an interview, Ina Fadriquela, Gabriela Metro Manila Secretary General said, “Like what other women’s movement across the globe did during visits of Trump in their respective countries, the Filipino women along with the other sectors of our society will not give Trump a warm welcome, but rather a raging protest atmosphere once he stepped in our land.”
She said that the US is guilty of the rape of our motherland.
“Imagine, the representative of the state that is the worst human rights violator in the world would come to visit our country. Such a pity should the public think that his visit would help the Philippines. In a century, the US has kept us backward and underdeveloped for their own good,” commented Fadriquela.
Violence against women continues
Part of the training was a discussion on the Republic Act (RA) 9262 or the Anti-Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC) Act. RA 9262 was passed in to law in 2004 during the term of then Gabriela Women’s Party Representative and now the Secretary and Lead Convenor of the National Anti-Poverty Commission Liza Maza.
Jane Balleta from the Social Services Department of the Gabriela national office facilitated the training.
Balleta told Manila Today that their group is alarmed that the range and frequency of VAWC in the country increased this year. According to Gabriela, on a daily basis, one rape case is being reported every 53 minutes and one domestic violence case in every 42 minutes.
RA 9262 defined violence against women and children as “refers to any act or a series of acts committed by any person against a woman who is his wife, former wife, or against a woman with whom the person has or had a sexual or dating relationship, or with whom he has a common child, or against her child whether legitimate or illegitimate, within or without the family abode, which result in or is likely to result in physical, sexual, psychological harm or suffering, or economic abuse including threats of such acts, battery, assault, coercion, harassment or arbitrary deprivation of liberty.”
The law also listed the acts of violence such as physical, sexual and psychological violence, and economic abuse.
Also in the law, acts of violence against women and children may be punished with imprisonment and a fine from P100,000 to 300,000, depending on the violation. The perpetrator would also be ordered to undergo mandatory psychological counselling or psychiatric treatment.
“This training is a continuing effort of the organization in providing service programs to our members to raise women’s awareness on issues concerning violence and abuse on women and children,” Fadriquela said.
She added, “This training is also relevant as VAWC remains and is even getting more rampant and worse as time passes by. More and more women and children are being victimized by various forms of violence and abuses including state violence, economic, psychological, physical, domestic and sexual abuses, rape, harassment and exploitation.”
Fadriquela said that the current social structure and the poor justice system in the country make justice for VAWC victims elusive and prosecution of VAWC culprits hanging. She insisted that women and child rights’ abusers cross the borders between domestic partners up to even State perpetrators and apparatuses.
“Filipino women and children being marginalized and the most vulnerable sectors in the society needs to be more equipped with the information and awareness that they will be needing as tools for them to aggressively assert and defend their rights,” said Fadriquela.
International observance
Fadriquela said that their training was held days before the start of the celebration of the National Children’s Month this November and the 57th year of the IDEVAW on November 25.
The group explained that the IDEVAW commemoration is based on the 1960 assassination of the three Mirabel sisters who are political activists in the Dominican Republic. Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo ordered the said killings.
Gabriela Metro Manila noted that IDEVAW 2017 would signal the start of the preparations for the International Women’s Day campaign for March 8 next year.
