Thursday, October 04, 2007 DSWD honors group's moves on women abuse By Edmund B. Sestoso
THE national office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) recognized a non-government organization (NGO) that has been on the forefront of the campaign against abuses committed on women and children.
In recognition of its efforts, the Gender Watch Against Violence and Exploitation (GWAVE) received from DSWD a certificate of accreditation.
Earlier, DSWD's regional office also gave GWAVE a license to operate.
Social workers of GWAVE were also certified by the national DSWD as court social workers.
GWAVE for the past years has been in the forefront of protecting and rescuing women and children who are either physically or sexually abused by foreigners staying in the country.
The recent case involves a foreigner who resides in Dauin town but had been already deported, although the lower court in the province dismissed the case against him.
The NGO gets its funding support from two churches in Germany identified as Church Development Service and Women's World Day of Prayer.
The funds extended covers the period 2007 up to 2009.
Early last year, two staff from the Netherlands came to the country for a two-year stint with GWAVE. They were sent by the Dutch agency People with a Mission.
They conducted trainings for the local staff on documentation, research, and organizational development.
Cecile Hoffmann, GWAVE's executive director, said they are also aggressively pushing their advocacy program that seeks to raise the awareness of the different communities on gender-based violence and of the laws addressing it, as well as to stimulate community involvement on prevention and responsible intervention.
She said that there is ongoing research on one of their project sites in Sibulan centering on "Labor and Marriage Migration" of women and girls.
She added that this is aimed at finding ways and means to prevent and handle trafficking cases.
To date, she said, some 50 women from different barangays of the town and another 50 high school students have been interviewed.
