KABUGAO, Apayao – 30 community leaders, including barangay officials and leaders from women and LGBTQ groups, serving as frontline champions for violence mitigation and those vulnerable to gender inequality, underwent Gender-Based Violence seminar organized by the Provincial Social Welfare Development Office (PSWDO).
According to World Health Organization, 1 in 3 women have experienced gender based violence, physical or sexual abuse. In the Philippines, from January to June 2022 alone, the Philippine National Police (PNP) reported 5,333 cases of violence against women.
The two-day seminar, which were held on November 22-23, 2023 in said municipality, focused on understanding gender-based violence which could be experienced by individuals, mostly women. This causes physical, sexual, or psychological harm to women, encompasses actions, threats, coercion, or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring publicly or privately.
The primary goal of the seminar is to educate barangay officials and women/LGBTQ leaders, fostering awareness of gender issues and promoting mindfulness and respect for the worth and dignity of every individual.
Similar sessions were conducted in the municipality of Pudtol on November 20-21, 2023.
Through the Gender-Based Violence Mitigation Seminar, it is hoped that the public will be made aware of gender equality, empowering both women and men to champion equality within their communities. The anticipated outcome includes positive transformations in family and community dynamics regarding social relations. By K Castillo
