Image: PCW

The Gender Equality Resource Center (GERC) Inc. supports the Philippines's “18-Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women (VAW)” led by the Philippine Commission on  Women (PCW), in coordination with the Inter-Agency Council on Violence Against Women and Children (IACVAWC) (November 25-December 12)

FACT SHEET on the Campaign
Source: https://pcw.gov.ph/event/2019-18-day-campaign-end-violence-against-women

World Health Organization (WHO)—global estimates: About 1 in 3 women (35%) worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual violence from intimate partner or non-partner in their lifetime.

The Philippines Statistics Authority (PSA), in its National Demographic Health Survey 2017, states that 1 in 4 Filipino women, aged 15-49, has experienced physical, emotional or sexual violence from their husband or partner.

Because violence against women (VAW) appears as one of the Philippines’s pervasive social problems, various measures and mechanisms have been employed and implemented to address it. Among the measures is the “18-Day Campaign to End VAW,” an annual advocacy campaign from November 25 to December 12 (Proclamation No. 1172 s. 2006 by President Gloria Arroyo).

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•       Through Republic Act No. 10398 (Act declaring November 25 of every year as the National Consciousness Day for the Elimination of VAWC), government agencies are mandated to raise awareness on the problem of violence and the elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls.

•       Originally, it was a 16-day action against gender-based violence to support the international campaign that originated from the first Women Leadership Institute at Reuters University, New Jersey, USA, in 1991. The action was to run from November 25 (“International Day to Eliminate VAW) until December 10 (“International Human Rights Day”), to emphasize that VAW is a human rights violation and to ensure better protection for survivors and victims of violence.

•       2006: Philippine President Arroyo signed Proclamation No. 1172 to extend the country’s campaign to 18 days to include December 12, which marks the signing in year 2000 of the “United Nations (UN) Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children,” to supplement the “UN Convention Against Transnational Organized Crimes.”

•       2008: The campaign was further strengthened the UN Secretary General launched the “UNiTE to End VAW Campaign” that envisions a world free from all forms of violence against women and girls. For the UN, this vision can only be realized through meaningful actions and ongoing political commitments of national governments, supported by adequate resources.

2019 Campaign Theme and Objectives

•       The PCW, in coordination with Inter-Agency Council on Violence Against Women and Children (IACVAWC), is tasked to lead, monitor, and evaluate the annual nationwide observance of the 18-Day Campaign to End VAW.

•       2016-2021 theme: “VAW-free community starts with Me” to emphasize everyone’s commitment and contributions on ending VAW, and presents an ideal picture of a VAW-free community, thus inspiring the general public to make a personal commitment to end VAWC.

•       2019: The campaign continues to underscore the significant role of individuals, especially the youth, in fighting VAW and girls in various institutions. The campaign focuses on Primary Prevention to reduce incidents of VAW across the country, which can be achieved by empowering individuals to know and claim their rights, and to educate them where to seek help in cases of violence. Specific aims:

- Promote awareness on the forms of violence women and girls experience

- Provide information on laws protecting women and girls

- Feature VAW-related services that people can access and avail

- Gather public support for the campaign.

•       Violence against women and girls is not just a major public health problem—it is also a grave violation of human rights; extremely manifests gender inequity, targeting women and girls because of their subordinate status in the society.

•       UN definition of VAW: “Any act of gender-based violence that results in, or likely to result in, physical, sexual, or mental harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or private life.” Violence and the threats of violence can be experienced by every woman of any age, skin color, gender identity, ethnicity, religion, disabilities, economic, and social status.

18 Things that We Can Do to Help End Violence Against Women (VAW)

Woman/Girl

1. Empower yourself. Know your rights and available courses of actions in case these rights are violated.

2. Speak out and report to the authorities in case your rights are violated.

3. Encourage others to fight for their rights.

Man/Boy 

4. Respect women and girls in your home, workplace, and community.

5. Join male groups promoting Anti-VAW efforts and participate in discussions to broaden your awareness on the advocacy.

6. Enlighten/advise perpetrators to seek help and join the male Anti-VAW supporters.

Government Agencies

7. Equip yourselves with apt trainings and capacity development sessions to improve service delivery for your clients.

8. Develop monitoring and evaluation strategy to assess the service to  your clients supporters.

9. Let people know that you provide the services! We need to inform the public that there are government offices that they can turn to and trust to assist them towards healing and seeking justice.

Barangay (small village)

10. Ensure that your Barangay VAW Desk is functional. You can use the Barangay VAW Desk Handbook developed by the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) and Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) with partner-agencies to guide you on what to do.

11. Establish linkages with local and national government agencies, as well as other organizations near your barangay where you can refer victim-survivors of VAW for needed assistance which the barangay is not able to provide.

12. Promote harmonious family and community relationships in your barangay, which is grounded on mutual respect for human rights, and take proactive steps to attain a VAW-free community.

Private Sector

13. Support the Anti-VAW efforts of the government and your immediate community.

14. Establish your own Action Desks where employees and clients can go to in case VAW happens.

15. Develop internal rules to proactively ensure that your workplace is VAW-free.

Academe/Training Institutions

16. Include concepts of VAW and women’s human rights in lesson plans/lesson guides of your teaching staff

17. Continually conduct/spearhead anti-VAW advocacies in your campus, and if possible, to your immediate community through extension programs.

18. Setup a Committee on Decorum and Investigation (CODI) where students and employees can seek help

2019 Campaign Activities The following activities are spearheaded by the PCW in partnership with key partner institutions:

•         Cine Juana Digital Shorts Competition (Deadline of submission of entries: November 4, 2019, 5:00 PM PST; Awarding Ceremony: November 25, 2019).
This competition recognizes film as a powerful tool in raising awareness on violence and inspiring action to prevent it. Open to Senior High School and College students in the Philippines, the competition has the following categories: #JuanParaKayJuana (Male Point-of-View), #LabanJuana (Female Point-of-View), and #LigtasJuana (Promoting Safe Spaces).

•         Orange your Icon for 18 Days Advocacy Initiative (November 25-December 12, 2019)
This activity shall strengthen the anti-VAW advocacy by enjoining new audiences to join the cause to end VAW. The idea is to attract the general public’s curiosity on why major landmarks or iconic spots are orange in color, thereby providing opportunities for advocates to explain the anti-VAW advocacy.

•          2019 Youth Forum on VAW (November 25, 2019 l 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM. PICC, Pasay City)
The PCW, in collaboration with the IACVAWC members and other partners, shall hold a forum involving youth participants. The forum shall serve as a venue to promote the concept on non-violence and positive masculinities, and to raise awareness on VAW and other laws protecting women and girls through age-appropriate core messages.

•          Anti-VAW Expo 2019 (November 27-29, 2019. 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Multi-Purpose Hall, UP College of Fine Arts, Diliman Quezon City)
The expo shall feature five interactive booths where participants shall be oriented on VAW laws, encourage help-seeking behavior in cases of VAW, leading to a commitment wall to end VAW dubbed as “I Vow to End VAW.”

•          18-Day Campaign Online Advocacy
Everyone is encouraged to share their advocacy activities online through: 

-Use of official hashtag: #VAWFreePH and making their posts public to generate  traction online

-Use of 18-Day Campaign to End VAW Facebook Profile Frame available through the PCW FB   page

-Feature the 18-Day Campaign to End VAW in agency websites and social media accounts

-Sharing the social media cards that PCW will release through its official Facebook and Twitter accounts.

#VAWFreePH