Philippines

Box 10: The Philippines snapshot

Population

Languages

Legal system

Women, Peace and Security Index ranking (2021/22)

Social Institutions and Gender Index ranking (2019)

Prevalence of physical or sexual IPV over last 12 months 109.58 million163

Filipino (based on Tagalog) and English are widely spoken. The eight major languages are: Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Hiligaynon or Ilonggo, Bicol, Waray, Pampango and Pangasinan

Mixed legal system of civil, common, Islamic (sharia), and customary law

61 out of 170

Very high (53%)

5.5% of women (DHS 2017 164)

Prevalence of physical, sexual or emotional IPV over lifetime

Child marriage 26% of married women aged 15 to 49 years (DHS 2017)

15% of women aged 20 to 24 years were first married or in union before age 18 (UNICEF global databases 2018)

The Philippines is an archipelago in Southeast Asia on the frontlines of global climate change. In addressing these issues, executive issuances related to disasters have included human rights and gender as considerations in programming. The 2011 National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Framework promotes community participation, inclusiveness and gender equity.165 Similarly, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan 2011–2028 aims to contribute to gender-responsive and rightsbased sustainable development.166 On the other hand, the National Climate Change Action Plan 2011–2028 identifies gender mainstreaming as a cross-cutting action […] highlighted in research and development, including the “conduct of gendered vulnerability and adaptation assessments,” planning and policy making, knowledge and capacity development, and enhancing women’s participation in climate change adaptation.167

While the Philippines ranks fairly well in the Global Gender Gap Report of the World Economic Forum (ranking 17th in the 2021 report), is a State Party to various international conventions and treaties that seek to eliminate GBV, and has a robust set of domestic laws that address GBV cases, many Filipino women and girls continue to experience various forms of GBV. The 2017 National Demographic and Health Survey of the Philippine Statistics Authority shows that 26 per cent of married women aged 15 to 49 years experienced physical, sexual or emotional violence committed by their husband or partner. The Philippine Statistics Authority adds that 20 per cent of women experienced emotional violence; 14 per cent physical violence; and 5 per cent sexual violence in an intimate relationship.168

Other forms of violence, such as sexual exploitation, rape, physical injuries and trafficking in persons increased in the Philippines from 2018 to 2019.169 Cases of sexual exploitation increased by 55.2 per cent (143 to 222 cases); rape cases by 30.6 per cent (1,656 to 2,162); and physical injuries cases by 15.1 per cent (14,116 to 16,251 cases).170 Incidences of trafficking in women also increased by 66.7 per cent (from 252 to 420 victims) within the same time frame.171 Despite this, the Philippines maintained its Tier 1 placement in the Trafficking in Persons Report of the US Department of State in 2020.172

The vulnerabilities of GBV survivors are heightened and their access to justice is hindered in post-disaster scenarios. Disasters and calamities are not new phenomena to the Philippines. Being located both in the typhoon belt and the Pacific Ring of Fire, the country is visited by an average of 20 typhoons annually and is likewise prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.173 And even during these calamities and disasters, incidents of GBV are not abated. In 2012, after Typhoon Pablo, there was an increase in reported GBV cases, including from those who engaged in commercial sex work.174 When Super Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines in 2013, “[w]omen bartered sex for food and water, and sex traffickers easily tempted young girls with promises of employment.”175 The situation in evacuation centres, such as overcrowding and poorly-lit areas, makes women and girls more vulnerable to sexual violence. Moreover, the limited presence of female law enforcement officers in evacuation areas may deter the victims of GBV from reporting, thus affecting women’s access to justice.176 A 2018 study of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies shows women and girls are distressed by these factors after disasters: early marriage, domestic violence, sexual harassment, trafficking, rape and domestic violence.177

GBV is one of many variables that demonstrate how climate change and disaster are not gender-neutral events. While everyone is affected by calamities and disasters, women and other vulnerable groups tend to suffer more because of their circumstances and situations.178 Thus, there is a need to increase women’s participation and mainstream a gendered and intersectional approach in the disaster risk reduction and management discourse, including policymaking and programming.