The Provincial Women’s Commission (PWC) is intensifying its programs aimed at inculcating good values in schoolchildren; and information campaigns in communities to raise awareness on the correct response when confronted by instances of abuse and violence against women.
These are among the thrusts of the PWC to mark this month’s celebration of the National Women’s Month.
Moral poverty of our society today is one of the basic factors in the commission of crimes against women and children, said Hedda Largo, PWC officer, during last week’s Kapihan sa Kapitolyo.
She cited the 187 cases filed by the PWC from 2010 to 2015, which are still pending in courts.
“Not all of these cases can be attributed to financial poverty alone,” she said. “There is also the lack of values, the moral poverty which our society is facing now.”
“Values should start from the family, and the irony is that these crimes are usually committed by a family member against a family member. We should start from there,” she said.
She said no one has yet been convicted, but the PWC expects the resolution of at least two of the cases this year.
All of these cases stem from complaints reported by the victims to the PWC office and to which the office extended assistance.
Largo said the PWC office will assist any case that involves rape, child abuse, human trafficking, child pornography, voyeurism, cybercrime acts and violence committed against women and children.
PRIORITIES
Largo also showed how the PWC’s priorities changed from 1999 to the 2015.
From 1999 to 2009, Largo said that the PWC office was focused purely on advocacy alone. However, by 2010, the office started to shift their thrust into actual programs and activities to address issues involving women and children.
On the trend that the number of reported abuse and violence against women and children is rising, Largo clarified that they cannot yet verify if this can be attributed to an increase in the number of crimes committed or an increased awareness among the public on the steps to take when such incidents happen.
Largo also said PWC’s thrust is to focus on its information campaigns up the barangay level so that more people will know what assistance the provincial government can provide to its women and children constituents.
Largo said the PWC will also extend medical, financial and legal assistance to women and children who are victims of violence and abuse.
Also on March 16, the PWC and the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office, as part of their celebration of the National Women’s Month, will hold a 16th Women’s Congress at the Capitol Social Hall and a seminar on entrepreneurship to help women maximize their income-earning capacity through their livelihood on March 18.