A women’s rights group renewed its call for justice and accountability amid what it described as persistently alarming levels of abuse in the Philippines.
The Center for Women’s Resources (CWR) said that global data show that “one in every three women experiences physical or sexual violence in her lifetime.”
The group made the statement during the observance of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (IDEVAW).
In the Philippines, police recorded “12,046 cases of VAW from January to November 2024, indicating that approximately 36 women are subjected to violence every day.” Yet, the group warned, “only one in 10 cases is reported.”
Underreporting, CWR said, is rooted in “victim blaming, lack of information about where to seek help, and deep distrust in authorities.”
Survivors are “often made to feel responsible for the abuse they endured,” discouraging many from coming forward.
This silence is reinforced by “repeated experiences of harassment, neglect, or worse, violence from individuals in positions of power.”
Women in poor, disaster-affected, and militarized areas face additional risks. According to the group, crises marked by “disasters, economic instability, and displacement” heighten vulnerability.
The group added that intensified military operations in rural and conflict-prone communities “expose women and children to increased threats of abuse, exploitation, and gender-based violence.”
Violence rooted in systemic inequality
CWR said violence persists because it is “rooted in a feudal-patriarchal system that shapes social institutions such as the family, religion, education, and mass media.”
This system, it stressed, “upholds unequal power relations, expecting women to be obedient and dependent, while protecting those who wield authority from accountability.”
The result, it added, is “a toxic combination of victim blaming, a culture of silence, and widespread impunity” that prevents women from seeking or obtaining justice.
Calls for action and accountability
As the country marked IDEVAW, CWR pressed for “urgent and concrete action,” saying laws aimed at protecting women “must not only be strengthened but fully and consistently implemented.”
Ending violence, the group added, requires “public investment in shelters, safe spaces, and free, accessible, and survivor-centered services.”
The organization also drew attention to the links between violence, poverty, and corruption. “Violence thrives where poverty is widespread,” CWR said.
“It worsens when resources are plundered, when corruption diverts public funds away from social services, and where the systems of power remain unaccountable,” it added.
Communities, the group urged, must be empowered to “confront impunity, and dismantle the structures of oppression and exploitation that place women at risk.”
