Baguio sees rise in violence against women during pandemic

Baguio City, Philippines - As the city celebrates the 18-day Campaign to End Violence against Women, the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) of Baguio expresses concern about the increase in cases of violence against women (VAW) in the city amid the pandemic.

Assistant CSDWD officer Lisa Bulayongan said that a significant increase in VAW cases from January to October 2021 was observed compared to the past two years of the same period.

Based on their records, there were 47 VAW recorded cases in 2019 and the number increased to 59 cases in 2020. While for the current year, 66 cases have already been reported.

Bulayongan, as reported by Baguio City Information Office, said the alarming rise of violence against women cases is ‘a challenge for the local government and non-government organizations, sectoral groups, private and civil society organizations to actively participate in ending violence against women and girls.’

“Let us be vigilant on violence against women; it chooses no time or place. We further encourage our partners in the barangays to sustain the strengthening of the functions of violence against women's desks as the first line of response to our victim-survivors. Let us join hands in capacitating violence against women's desk officers and other officials on how to handle VAW cases,” Bulayongan said.

The World Health Organization (WHO) indicated that ‘about 1 in 3 women worldwide have experienced either physical or sexual violence from their intimate partners or non-partners in their lifetime.’

Bulayongan said that in order to end VAW, women and men alike should work together in liberating women from violence and help them be empowered for a better and peaceful society.

She admitted that violence against women is not new as even before the COVID-19 pandemic came, there were many reports of alleged women abuses perpetrated by their intimate partners, and it is only now that the number has significantly increased.

“As doors closed and isolation began, reports of all forms of violence against women and girls, particularly domestic violence, began to significantly increase,” said Bulayongan.

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