EVERY other day, a woman would seek for a barangay protection order in Barangay Matina alone, said Barangay Captain Angela Librado-Trinidad in a forum recently.
It is imperative for all barangay councils to abide by the Magna Carta for Women and put up a desk dedicated to handing cases of violence against women (VAW).
The VAW desk is tasked to give assistance and psychosocial support to women and to draft plans on women protection.
Barangay Matina has allotted almost a million pesos for its Gender and Development program, which covers this.
Librado said most of the cases filed with them are psychological abuse by partners, extramarital affairs of husbands, and physical abuse.
Aside from these are prostituting women and minors, inhumane condition for domestic helpers, and forced organ donation.
To lessen the likelihood of being victims of violence, women have to be empowered, Librado said.
This means providing them livelihood programs so that they will have their own income and not be dependent on their spouses and partners.
Women, too, have to be encouraged to pursue their studies. (Lovely Aizyl A. Diwata/UM Intern)