Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 26) – As the world observed the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on Wednesday, an advocacy group called for further protection of Filipino women’s rights during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Zonta International is spearheading “16 Days of Activism” campaign from Nov. 25 to Dec. 10, featuring virtual activities aimed at spreading awareness on fighting gender-based violence.
Renowned women’s rights lawyer Lorna Kapunan, a member of Zonta Club of Makati-Ayala, urged the Philippine government to strictly enforce the many existing laws in solving gender-based violence in the country during the pandemic.
“We don’t need laws. What we need is government action and political will,” Kapunan told CNN Philippines’ Rico Hizon on Thursday.
The lawyer added that women bore the brunt of the negative effects of the pandemic such as poverty, unemployment, unpaid wages, and domestic violence.
Kapunan addressed the government to direct banks in giving concessional loans to micro, small, and medium enterprises, majority of which are women-led. She also called out companies not to lay off women, and the police and military to recognize the existing gender-based violence in communities.
“It must be the political commitment of the government to respect women,” she emphasized. “After all, we must be reminded that women’s rights are human rights.”
According to the World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap Report 2020, the Philippines is the most gender equal country in Asia as the country significantly closed its gaps in economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, and health and survival. The country, however, fell to 16th place in the latest WEF report from being in the 8th spot the previous year.
The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women mentioned in its findings that women calling on domestic violence-related helplines increased significantly worldwide during the lockdowns brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, with an estimated 15 million women affected in their own homes.
The City of Manila recently approved its local Gender and Development Code which aims to “protect women and all other genders against violence, sexual abuse, battering, trafficking, gender discrimination, sexual harassment, pedophilia, commercial exploitation and other forms of harassment.”
