Philippines GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE POLICY AND INSTITUTIONAL MAPPING REPORT The World Bank June 2020 © 2021 International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank 1818 H Street NW Washington DC 20433 Telephone: 202-473-1000 Internet: www.worldbank.org This work is a product of the staff of The World Bank with external contributions. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this work do not necessarily reflect the views of The World Bank, its Board of Executive Directors, or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or currency of the data included in this work and does not assume responsibility for any errors, omissions, or discrepancies in the information, or liability with respect to the use of or failure to use the information, methods, processes, or conclusions set forth. 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GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE POLICY AND INSTITUTIONAL MAPPING REPORT 1 Marivi Amor J. Ladia, Social Development Specialist, World Bank, led this work as the focal point for sexual exploitation and abuse/sexual harassment (SEA/SH) in the Philippines. This report was prepared by Nancy E. Parreño, gender-based violence consultant, and benefited from the reviews of Vincent Abrigo, Regional Gender Tag Assessor, and Alkadevi Patel, Senior Social Development Specialist and SEA/SH coordinator for East Asia and the Pacific. The team wishes to thank the government institutions and development partners who shared their time and insights allowing the completion of this report amid the pandemic. GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE POLICY AND INSTITUTIONAL MAPPING REPORT 2 GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE POLICY AND INSTITUTIONAL MAPPING REPORT 3 Table of Contents Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................6 Abbreviations ....................................................................................................................................7 Key Terms and Definitions ..................................................................................................................9 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................11 Framework .............................................................................................................................................. 11 Methodology and Limitations ................................................................................................................. 12 1. Situational Analysis of GBV in the Philippines ............................................................................ 12 1.1. Intimate partner violence ........................................................................................................... 15 1.2. Sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment .............................................................. 16 1.3. Human trafficking and prostitution ............................................................................................ 18 1.4. Child marriages and child pregnancies ....................................................................................... 19 1.5. Technology-mediated violence against women and children .................................................... 20 1.6. Violence against the LGBTIQ+ community .................................................................................. 20 1.7. GBV in the context of disasters, conflict, and militarization ....................................................... 21 2. Legal and Policy Framework on GBV .......................................................................................... 22 2.1. International laws and standards ............................................................................................... 22 2.2. National laws and standards ....................................................................................................... 23 2.3. Other policies facilitating gender equality .................................................................................. 24 2.4. Local ordinances against GBV ..................................................................................................... 24 2.5. National action plans on GBV ..................................................................................................... 25 3. Institutional Mechanisms against GBV ...................................................................................... 25 3.1. Direct service provision to survivors of GBV ............................................................................... 25 3.2. Access to legal justice ................................................................................................................. 27 3.3. Gender mainstreaming ............................................................................................................... 28 3.4. Monitoring mechanisms ............................................................................................................. 29 4. Nongovernmental Organizations and GBV ................................................................................. 29 4.1. Civil society organizations ........................................................................................................... 29 4.2. International NGOs ..................................................................................................................... 31 4.3. United Nations agencies ............................................................................................................. 31 5. Gaps and Challenges ................................................................................................................. 32 Emerging issue: COVID-19 pandemic and GBV ....................................................................................... 34 6. Recommendations .................................................................................................................... 35 General recommendations to the World Bank ....................................................................................... 37 Bibliography ....................................................................................................................................40 Annex 1 List of Persons and Agencies Interviewed for the Report ...................................................... 46 Annex 2 List of Selected Philippine Laws and Related Policies on Gender-Based Violence .................. 47 Annex 3: VAWC Case Referral at the Barangay Level ......................................................................... 50 GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE POLICY AND INSTITUTIONAL MAPPING REPORT 4 Annex 4 VAWC Case Referral at the Police Level ............................................................................... 51 Annex 5: VAWC Case Referral at the Local Social Welfare and Development Office ............................ 52 Annex 6: VAWC Case Referral at the Medical or Health Unit ............................................................. 53 Annex 7: VAWC Case Referral at the Prosecutor Level ....................................................................... 54 GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE POLICY AND INSTITUTIONAL MAPPING REPORT 5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Philippines has a good array of national policies on gender mainstreaming, including laws addressing gender-based violence (GBV) and discrimination. In 2009, it enacted the Magna Carta of Women, a comprehensive legislation that supports and strengthens women’s human rights, especially of those in the marginalized sectors, as well as lays down the institutional structure for ensuring these rights. There are also established mechanisms such as women and children protection desks in barangays, police stations, hospitals, and institutionalized programs in national and local government agencies which operationalize the State’s commitment to provide redress in cases of GBV. Moreover, a strong civil society base—the women’s movement, in particular—contributes to increasing awareness of women’s human rights and gender equality. Civil society organizations also play a major role in providing direct and support services on GBV, especially in areas and sectors where institutional mechanisms are problematic. However, challenges remain: (1) issues regarding availability (for example, in times of disasters or displacement, or in some cases, when the mechanism is missing in their community), accessibility (physical distance, direct and indirect financial cost of using the service,