The European Union supports women’s rights in the Philippines

International Women’s Day is a day to celebrate the strength and power of women. Women make up more than half of our population and play a hugely important role in all aspects of society. We need to encourage women in their economic independence, increasing their chances of achieving their full potential. Individual women, their families and society as a whole all will see huge social, economic, political and cultural benefit as a result. That is why the European Union strongly promotes women’s rights and gender equality and fights discrimination and violence against women and girls.

On this day the European Union reaffirms its commitment to protect and promote women’s rights, gender equality and women’s empowerment. Gender equality and women’s empowerment are essential to the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The economic and political empowerment of women is not only a driving force for gender equality, but it is also fundamental to achieve overall economic growth and reduce poverty.

Furthermore, women are often powerful actors in the promotion of sustainable development and social justice, as well as agents for peace and democracy in conflict or post-conflict situations.

The gender situation in the Philippines is characterized by sharp contradictions. Women traditionally play an important economic, political, and social role and enjoy greater equality than in many other countries, including in South East Asia. European diplomats talking about Women’s rights with representatives of the Philippines government or administration will often find on the other side of the table very well prepared and professional women... This reality is nevertheless contrasted by images of exploitation of women, of battered wives, economically disadvantaged women and exploited migrant workers.

One priority identified by women organisations in the Philippines over the past few years focuses on the way public institutions attend women who are victims of violence. Over 14,000 cases of Violence Against Women and their Children (VAWC) nationwide were reported by the National Barangay Operations Office of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) for 2011.

In 2010, the EU has provided P9 million financial support to a Filipino NGO called “Women’s Feature Service” to educate and work for the improvement of the various components of the judicial systems in the Philippines and to enable them to deliver rights-based and gender-sensitive services with respect to violence against women cases. While all barangays nationwide are required to put up a Women’s Help Desk in their offices, not all of them have established an effective system of handling VAWC cases. The project has helped the creation of such help desks in 15 barangays and financed training, advocacy and legal activities in 10 different provinces. 

Project Coordinator Echel Escobal says that while they cannot completely eliminate violence, the Help Desks are dedicated to giving victims — and even perpetrators — a second chance. The project aims to heal and serve justice to VAWC survivors. It provides counseling, monitoring and even livelihood programs to victims in the hope of expediting the healing process. It serves a different kind of justice through empowering VAWC survivors to build a promising future.

Through such small projects, as well as through similar actions financed by EU Member States, the European Union contributes to support women’s rights in the Philippines.