Advocates of violence against women (VAW) and girls convene during the Bangsamoro Women Summit 2024 in Davao City on December 13-14, 2024. (Photo courtesy of BWC)
Women, especially the mothers, are the lights of homes. They are skillful—they mastered household management, budgeting monthly allowances for the family’s consumption, and taking care of the children, among other things.
These were how they were known before—domestic and hands-on—however, they have since evolved into people far stronger, bolder, and empowered, justifying that sky is only the limit.
Despite the love and care we receive from these individuals, some of them unfortunately experienced abuse and even are continuously experiencing one, straight from the hands of the perpetrators—worse, the latter reside under the same roof.
Hence, the Bangsamoro Government, stakeholders, and advocates of violence against women (VAW) and girls have been working hand-in-hand to put an end to these abuses.
Bangsamoro Women Summit 2024
On Dec. 13-14, 2024, the Bangsamoro Women Commission (BWC) spearheaded the Bangsamoro Women Summit 2024, which aims to amplify women’s roles in peacebuilding, governance, and resilience efforts and enhance awareness of the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda.
Carrying the theme, “Advancing Women, Peace, and Security: Empowering Women to Sustain Peace and Resilience in the Bangsamoro,” the summit convened Gender and Development (GAD) champions from various Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) ministries, offices, and agencies (MOAs) and civil society organizations (CSOs) as catalysts of halting VAW.
Bangsamoro Women Commission (BWC) Chairperson Bainon Karon delivers her speech during the Bangsamoro Women Summit 2024 in Davao City on December 13, 2024. (Photo courtesy of BWC)
BWC Chairperson Bainon Karon acknowledged the ‘persistent’ challenges the autonomous region encounters, mentioning the impacts of gender-based violence, armed conflicts, and climate change threats to the lives of the Bangsamoro women.
“In the face of these crises, it is the women of the BARMM who often bear the brunt of these burdens, yet they remain woefully underrepresented in the critical areas of peacebuilding, policymaking, and climate change adaptation efforts,” she stressed during the summit in Davao City.
Karon stated that the summit is specially designed to open conversations about relevant interventions for women’s advancement.
“This is to provide a platform for dialogue, collaboration, and collective action to mobilize our efforts toward ending all forms of violence, eradicating poverty, and fostering resilience in the Bangsamoro region,” she said.
Featured thematic discussions during the two-day event are: The Women’s Role in Peacebuilding: Lessons from ARMM, BARMM, and Beyond; The Economic Empowerment as a Pillar of Peace and Security: Frameworks to Poverty Reduction; and The Building Climate Resilient Communities for Peace and Security.
The activities aligned with the culmination of the 18-day campaign to end VAW, which runs every year from Nov. 25 to Dec. 12, to raise awareness and encourage collaboration to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls, vested under Presidential Proclamation 1172, s. 2006.
Likewise, the BARMM and its partners, such as the United Kingdom (UK) and Canada Governments through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Support to Bangsamoro Transition (SUBATRA), and Oxfam Pilipinas, made the event a triumph.
Gender and Development (GAD) Champions address queries about VAW during the GAD Congress in Davao City on December 15, 2024. (Photo courtesy of BWC)
GAD Congress
In pursuit of promoting women’s rights and welfare, the BWC led on Dec. 15 the Gender and Development (GAD) Congress to address critical issues of gender equality and women empowerment at the local level.
The ‘landmark’ occasion enjoined stakeholders from different local government units (LGUs) in the BARMM.
Presented during the event was the Joint Memorandum Circular 2024-01 among the BWC, Ministry of Interior and Local Government (MILG), Ministry of Finance and Budget, and Management (MFBM), and the Bangsamoro Planning and Development Authority (BPDA).
“This circular focused on the localization of the Magna Carta for Women to LGUs, underscoring the Bangsamoro Government’s commitment to ensuring that the principles of gender equality and women’s empowerment are firmly embedded in local governance,” the BWC shared on its Facebook page.
Also featured was the VAW desk functionality mapping and assessment, which concerns the BARMM LGUs as the ‘immediate’ actors of halting VAW in barangays.
On Nov. 25, MILG Minister Atty. Elijah Dumama-Alba emphasized the Barangay VAW Desk, designed to cater to the concerns violating Republic Act No. 9262, also known as the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children (VAWC) Act of 2004, and other forms of gender-based discrimination and mayhems.
Alba said that the VAW desk is not ‘merely’ a requirement under Section 408 of the Bangsamoro Local Governance Code (BLGC) but a dedication to protecting the rights of women and girls.
“It is a declaration of our commitment to protect and empower the women of Bangsamoro—a sector whose resilience has long been the backbone of our communities yet continues to endure challenges that demand urgent actions.”
“This is why functionality is non-negotiable. It is the bridge between our aspirations and the realities of the women we seek to serve,” she added.
In the 21st century, speaking the truth of the voiceless has become the new normal. Every Bangsamoro should be a GAD champion to achieve the region’s goal—an empowered, cohesive, and progressive Bangsamoro. (Johamin Inok/ BIO)
