Women-friendly evacuation centers set up

MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has put up women-friendly spaces (WFS) in evacuation centers in Roxas City, Capiz, to make women evacuees productive.

A Department of Social Welfare and Development worker talks to a forum on women-friendly spaces (WFS) in this photo from DSWD’s website dswd.gov.ph. The DSWD has put up WFS in evacuation centers in Roxas City, Capiz, to make women evacuees productive.

The WFS is a facility that addresses the specific needs of women affected by disaster and provides a more systematic, organized and gender-responsive way of delivering services to them.

The DSWD said that before the establishment of the WFS, the usual scenario in Barangay (village) Punta Cogon in the city had women playing the local card game tong-its and the betting games bingo and bog-oy.

Since last month, however, most of them had stopped playing these card and numbers games.

“Instead of gambling, they now attend sessions at the WFS,” said Susana Bornales, a daycare worker and WFS facilitator.

The WFS is set up in evacuation centers, transitional sites and in disaster-affected communities.

The DSWD, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the local city government and other concerned international organizations partnered to organize the facility.

In Punta Cogon, nearly 300 women avail themselves of services provided at the WFS.

These include lectures on disaster preparedness and what to do during and after a disaster. Breast-feeding techniques, parenting responsibilities and women’s rights are also discussed. Likewise, skills coaching on dressmaking and craftsmanship are conducted.

Bornales noted that the setting-up of the WFS had also resulted in fewer husband and wife conflicts.

“When men heard of their wives saying there were laws protecting them, some men who had violent tendencies were careful not to hurt their wives,” said Bornales.

Aside from the activities, the women-beneficiaries are also provided with basic kits containing flashlights, whistles, underwear and sanitary napkins.

Recognizing the importance of the WFS as a disaster response strategy, the DSWD has enlisted the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and the UNFPA to further assist its social workers in implementing it.

A training was recently organized for social workers on how to establish a WFS.

Graciela Van der Poel of the UNFPA stressed that during emergencies, women and girls have different and special needs that should be addressed.

DSWD social worker Rebecca Geamala said that woman- and girl-victims of disasters should have their special place to prevent them from being abused and exploited.

“Mixed populations in evacuation centers leave the women and girls prone and vulnerable to abuse because they are all together under one roof,” Geamala said.

Geamala also said that, in times of disaster, breast-feeding sites take weeks before they are put up, thus lactating mothers do not have privacy when they breast-feed their babies.

With the training, Geamala hopes the setting-up and management of WFS will become faster and more efficient.

Aside from Punta Cogon, there are WFS in Barangay Cagay in Punta Cogon, Barangays Guinticgan and Cawayan, Carles and Barangay Botongon, Estancia.