DSWD Region V conducted series of events that promoted women’s rights which included an information drive that underscores topics on how to curb violence against women (VAW) in the workplace and at home in connection with the observance Women’s Month this March.
According to Marian Monsalve, Social Welfare Officer II and DSWD Region V Gender and Development (GAD) focal person, the Department was able to conduct orientation series on women protective laws including Solo Parents Welfare Act, Anti-Rape Law, Anti-Sexual Harassment Act. The said topics were tackled by Atty. Joyce Guerrero, the Asst. Regional Prosecutor of Department of Justice (DOJ) to educate the DSWD employees.

“As DSWD workers who provide technical services to our partners, it is our duty to increase our knowledge about women’s rights and continuously upskill to promote these rights to quickly respond to VAW,” Monsalve said.

There was a similar discussion at the Regional Rehabilitation Center for Youth (RRCY), a DSWD residential care facility with an expanded topic on anti-child pornography and Magna Carta for Women.

The DSWD Region V also conducted a Youth Forum last March 14 which also tackled Violence against women and children (VAWC). 90 individuals from Team Albay Youth
Organization (TAYO), Bicol University, scholars of Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), Good Shepherd Home Youth and Latter Day Saints attended the said forum.

Moreover, Monsalve shared same discussions to different radio guestings while the social workers assigned at provincial DSWD offices also provided technical assistance to local government units (LGUs) regarding women and children’s rights.

The DSWD Region V also joined the One Billion Rising Culminating last March 23 at Albay Astrodome which capped the celebration of the Women’s Month in Bicol region with the women’s rights advocate, Vice-President Leni Robredo, as the keynote speaker.

The theme: We make change work for women is adopted from 2017 to 2022 for the Women’s Month Celebration.

DSWD offers different services to women in crisis such as free counseling wherein licensed social workers assess and provide apt interventions. Financial assistance is also given to them
through the Assistance to Indivdual in Crisis Situation (AICS), a social safety net or a stop-gap mechanism to support the recovery of individuals and families from unexpected crisis such as illness or death of a family member, natural or man-made calamities, and other crisis situations.

“The government offers enabling mechanisms to address VAWC and everyone has a stake in this,” Dir. Arnel Gacia said.