By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos
MANILA – The Philippines has laid out four “effective” strategies that may be adopted by other nations to combat trafficking in women and girls.
During the side event of the 68th annual Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68) in the United States on Friday (Manila time), Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Commissioner Faydah Dumarpa shared the best practices adopted in the country to address human trafficking that mostly targets women.
Dumarpa, in her keynote speech, said the strategies include the adoption of a “holistic approach” that calls for better accessibility and addressing specific barriers of women and girls, taking into consideration their multiple identities and specific contexts.
“It recognizes that multiple identities and specific contexts can render a person more vulnerable to and at risk of trafficking. It also recognizes the need to adopt measures that address and respond to specific vulnerabilities and contexts,” she said.
“It recognizes that survivors are not similarly situated and responses should recognize and respond to these differences.”
The second strategy, Dumarpa said, is the adoption of community-based strategies and close coordination with women’s organizations on the ground to enhance response.
Partnerships and community engagements, she said, are vital in ensuring that the policies and interventions to address trafficking in women are effective and grounded on the lived experiences of the most marginalized.
“We recognize the extensive work of women’s human rights organizations and community-based responses in amplifying survivor’s voices and participation; in ensuring multi-disciplinary and effective referral and response mechanisms; and in calling duty bearers into account,” Dumarpa said.
She also emphasized the need to champion “survivor-centered approaches,” saying responses to trafficking in women and girls should always be survivor-centered.
She noted that the CHR entered into formal agreements to ensure the institutionalization of gender-based violence responses in the Philippines.
Concerned government agencies in the country, she said, are getting constant reminders that responses should always ensure respect and the dignity of the survivor.
The last strategy Dumarpa mentioned is the domestic and regional collaborations in supporting survivors.
In the Philippines, the CHR and its regional offices participated in inter-agency mechanisms that address trafficking and violence against women, Dumarpa said.
“This the Commission leverages – in surfacing gaps as identified by community women and women organizations working on the ground. We use this platform as well to forward key areas for action and to advocate for survivor-centered approaches,” she said.
“Regionally, we work with fellow NHRIs (national human rights institutions) in responding to cases of gender-based violence, including trafficking, and we work with development partners in enhancing response.”
The side event in the CSW68 focused on innovative partnerships to end trafficking in women and girls, bringing together speakers who can share their experiences in working to address the issue.
Roughly 60 percent of human trafficking victims are female, according to the figure from the United Nations (UN).
Based on the UN report, the victims often face more violent forms of exploitation, depriving them of their freedom and trapping them in webs of abuse. (PNA)
