PHILIPPINES: Men Oppose To Violence Against Women Forms Organization

Date: 
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Source: 
PIA
Countries: 
Asia
South Eastern Asia
Philippines
PeaceWomen Consolidated Themes: 
Sexual and Gender-Based Violence

More than 50 men employees of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Field Office-7 in Cebu City formed themselves into ‘Men Oppose to Violence Against Women Everywhere' (MOVE) DSWD-7 Chapter and distributed over a hundred stickers and flyers on anti-violence against women to public commuters at the North and South bus terminals in Mandaue and Cebu cities, respectively.

MOVE-DSWD7 chapter joined with the members of the Regional Sub-Committee on Gender and Development, Anti-Trafficking and Violence Against Women and Children, NGO Teams on War Against Trafficking, the City of Cebu and other partner agencies to advocate against any form of violence against women and children through the distribution of IEC materials.

Through the initiative of the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women (NCRFW), the Men Opposed to Violence against Women Everywhere (MOVE) was organized with male members coming from various organizations, including the government, private sector, academe and non-government groups.

According to DSWD-7 information officer, Jaybee Binghay MOVE is an organization of men who dedicated themselves to be actively involved in eliminating all forms of violence or discrimination against women especially VAWC and pledged to fight violence against women and children.

The movement involved all male employees of the department with the dedication to enhance their knowledge, attitude and skills on issues of violence against women and the anti-VAWC laws and at the same time elect officers and come up with an action plan.

Binghay added that there is a need to involve men in movements to end violence against women, focusing on their role and responsibilities and emphasize that they are part of the solution.

Cebu City president of Empowerment and Reaffirmation of Paternal Abilities Training (ERPAT) Dr. Hermes Ibon said that VAW continues to be a major social and public health problem affecting thousands of women not only in the Philippines but worldwide.

“Most of the studies indicate that men, more often than not are the usual perpetrators of VAWC,” Ibon added.

Violence against Women (VAW) is defined as “any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in physical, sexual or mental harm or suffering to women, including threats such as acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or private life. (PIA-7/hfg with reports from DSWD-7)