Australia, Unicef launch facility for survivors of abuse, violence

MANILA, Philippines — Expanding access to facilities for women and child victims and survivors of violence and abuse, the Australian government and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Philippines launched new tele-Women and Child Protection Units (TeleWCPUs) in Kapalong and Nabunturan, Davao del Norte.

With support from the Australian government, UNICEF and the Child Protection Network, Davao Regional Medical Center, local governments of Kapalong and Nabunturan, and Stairway Foundation, are backing regional and local health units to promote availability of the TeleWCPU in certain areas, provide on-site training and support to focal persons, and develop a child protection policy for these units.

Australian Ambassador HK Yu said Australia partnered with UNICEF Philippines in this project “to strengthen local community response and increase access to medical, psychological, and legal services to women and children survivors of violence.”

“Australia recognizes that addressing violence against women and children continues to be an international challenge. By digitalizing protection services, we can increase access to support and protection for affected individuals – this is what we did through Project BRAVE (Building COVID-safe Responses and Voices for Equity) as well,” she said.

The TeleWCPUs allow women and children to call or send a text message to report violence and abuse and ask questions about protection services, especially those who have no direct access to the regional hospital’s Women and Child Protection Unit. They also ensure the continuity of services such as counseling and treatments through video-calls with social workers, mental health professionals and doctors.

TeleWCPUs are part of Women and Child Protection Units, where social workers, pediatric doctors and experts in child psychology examine children and women who survived all forms of abuse and violence, and assess them for further medical examination, treatments, rehabilitation and counselling.

The National Baseline Study on Violence against Children by the Council for the Welfare of Children and UNICEF (2015) showed that eight out of 10 children experience various forms of violence.

Data revealed that two in 10 children aged 12-17 have been subjected to online sexual exploitation, representing around two million children nationwide; and between 23 to 38 percent of victims of OSAEC do not report it to anyone.