-
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/29 November) – The number of cases of violence against women and children reported in the city had increased from 184 in 2004 to 1,450 so far this year, the Women and Children Protection Desk Davao said.
The Anti-Violence against Women and Children Act was passed in 2004.
Among the reported cases, domestic violence, sexual harassment and rape are the most prevalent, Leah Emily Miñoza, executive director of the Women Studies and Resource Center, said.
She cited that a woman suffers from domestic violence every five hours or five women every day, or an average of 139 victims a month. In addition, the rape of children below 12 years old or statutory rape has soared from one reported case in 2009 to 33 cases in 2012.
She also said that there are eight cases of sexual harassment of children reported every month.
“Impunity and victim-blaming averts women’s struggle to access legal and judicial mechanisms to stop violence. A prominent case in Davao City would be that of Karen Vertido, who filed a case with the UN after failing to get justice for rape,” Miñoza said in a press statement.
“The statistics indicate that violence against women not only persists until today, it is on the rise. This is because the social problems that cause VAW and all forms of gender violence have not been addressed,” Mary Ann Sapar, spokesperson of Gabriela Women’s Party (GWP) Southern Mindanao said. (Lorie Ann Cascaro/MindaNews)
