Dear colleagues,
Population Services Pilipinas Inc. (PSPI) and the Philippines partner
for Marie Stopes International have sought to involve men in efforts to
eliminate violence against women in the Philippines. We organised a
series of workshops in three cities in Metropolitan Cebu, south of Manila,
in November and December, 2001. Its objectives included:
* Selecting strategic segments of the adult male population for
involvement in the prevention/elimination of violence against
women (VAW)
* Engaging these groups in the creation of awareness regarding the
issue of VAW and in planning local actions
* Promoting understanding of EVAW among the broader population in
order to bolster the actions of the identified male groups.
The programme targeted men, particularly members of the police force
and elected male village heads ("barangay chairmen"), in Metropolitan
Cebu's major cities (Cebu, Mandaue, and Talisay).
Forty-two barangay chairmen and 40 policemen participated in the
two-part seminar-workshops. Invitations were sent by the City Mayors,
whose authority covered the barangay chairmen; by the Chief of Police
of the three cities that sent participants; and by the Regional
Command Police Chief, who possessed jurisdiction over all police
forces in Cebu.
The first workshop was devoted to understanding gender, gender biases
and prejudices, and their linkages to VAW. Participants in this
workshop noted that VAW is both a social and a public health problem
and that nobody deserves violence. They also evaluated responses from
the community with regard to VAW. The second workshop focused on VAW
and its elimination. Conducted in December, 2001, this workshop dealt
with the role of men in eliminating VAW.
The following communication materials, bearing the theme of "men's
involvement and participation in EVAW", were also designed and
distributed:
* A 30-second radio spot in the local dialect that was aired on
four radio broadcast stations in Cebu. The spot took the format
of a soap opera featuring a woman being beaten by her husband (a
barangay chairman) and a male resident of the barangay. Due to
the incidence of domestic violence, the barangay chairman
instructed the other male characters to gather all the men of
their barangay to prevent similar events from happening. The spot
was broadcast 40 times daily for 16 days.
* A poster that was produced in the local dialect and displayed in
all barangay meeting halls and all police stations in
metropolitan Cebu. The poster, which included illustrations
representing barangay chairmen and policemen, bore the message
"Stop Violence Against Women". A total of 1,000 copies of this
poster were printed.
Gender hierarchies and gender inequalities tend to both reflect and
perpetuate gender-based violence. This type of violence is manifested
primarily as men's violence against women and girls, and occurs in a
wide variety of forms. In the Philippines, domestic disturbances
(including violence among family members) are brought before village
committees headed by the barangay chairmen. Policemen then attend to
the preservation of peace and order. The police force often assigns
cases involving violence against women to policewomen, denying
policemen the opportunity to understand women's experience with
violence.
Gender-based violence has received growing attention since the 1993
World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna. As part of this effort,
on an annual basis the World Conference commemorates the quest for
EVAW through a period of intense activism starting November 25 and
culminating on the International Human Rights Day, December 10.
Action plans from the workshops detailed above include:
* Inventory of barangay cases on maltreatment of spouses and
children; re-invitation of the parties involved; follow-through
from the previous dialogue/agreement towards enlightening the
spouses on the rights of women
* Formation of a monitoring group on EVAW among the barangays
* Initiation of an information-sharing network on EVAW among men in
barangays with the assistance of local experts
* Work to educate young men on gender, the presence of VAW, and the
role of men
* Support of policy and legislative initiatives on domestic
violence through active participation in public hearings and
through strong lobbies
* Compassionate assistance for victims of VAW
* The search for role models who can promote EVAW in the
communities
* Promotion of respect for women in general.
In March 2002, a meeting to report progress among the participants
was convened.
Virgilio Pernito, Programme Director
Population Services Pilipinas Inc.
274 Gil Puyat Ave, Pasay
City 1300, Metro Manila, The Philippines
Tel.: 63 283 12876
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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