CFSI and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) have launched a project to address, as well as prevent, sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in the conflict-affected areas of Mindanao, Philippines. The Stop Violence Project (SVP) covers 20 barangays (villages) in the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, North Cotabato, and Sultan Kudarat.
Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) refers to physical, mental, or emotional harm directed at individuals or groups on account of their sex or gender. Examples include, among others, domestic violence, rape, sexual abuse, sexual harassment, incest, forced prostitution, and human trafficking. Although majority of survivors or victims of SGBV are girls and women, boys and men can also be targets of these violations. Further, SGBV undermines human dignity and well-being by reinforcing gender inequality and discrimination.
“The communities themselves are playing the most important role. With CFSI, UNFPA, and other stakeholders providing support, the communities take the lead in preventing sexual and gender-based violence, and caring for the survivors of violence,” Director for Philippine Programme Vladimir Arcilla Hernandez announced.
Volunteers from the communities will be trained by CFSI and deployed to monitor and report SGBV incidents. They will also form support groups, raise awareness, and share information on preventing SGBV. Referral systems involving CFSI, UNFPA, and partner agencies will provide psychosocial, medical, legal, and security assistance to survivors.
In order to stop and prevent SGBV, it is “crucial for women, children, and men to know and understand their rights,” Deputy Director for Philippine Programme Noraida Abdullah Karim explained. “Awareness of human rights and SGBV issues increases a community’s confidence and ability to protect the most vulnerable.”
In Mindanao, decades-long armed conflict between the Philippine Government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), rido or clan feuds, and natural disasters have displaced thousands. Between January and May 2012, an estimated 25,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) fled their homes and have not returned,* owing largely to safety and security concerns, as well as lack of access to basic services. The combination of displacement and poverty put these uprooted communities at higher risk of sexual abuse, human trafficking, and other forms of SGBV.
Partners for this project include local government units (LGUs), the Department of Social Welfare (DSWD), Department of Health (DoH), Commission on Human Rights (CHR), Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), and other organizations in the Inter-Agency Council on Violence Against Women and their Children (IAC-VAWC).
UNFPA is an international development agency that promotes the right of every woman, man and child to enjoy a life of health and equal opportunity.
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*Mindanao Protection Cluster, as of May 2012. This figure excludes the number of persons affected by Tropical Storm Washi (Sendong).