Published by Bayan Metro Manila
The government’s failure to provide adequate assistance and its delayed decision to conduct massive COVID-19 testing could worsen domestic violence in the country.
Violence against women and children (VAWC) is a silent killer that is seldom reported or noticed.
In many communities, women bear the brunt of household work and taking care of the daily needs of the family. They are mothers, wives, and daughters who lost jobs and livelihoods in the past month. Many of them have been forced to depend on government relief to survive and ease the mental anguish caused by the spread of COVID-19.
The slow arrival of aid is a heavy toll they have to carry while taking steps to protect the health of their families. It could trigger more violence if they are part of abusive relationships.
The inadequate food assistance could negatively affect the health of malnourished children.
The indecision over the petition to conduct mass testing has contributed to the emotional and psychological torture of battered women and children. Testing in communities could have easily informed many households about their vulnerabilities in acquiring the infectious disease.
Any decision to extend the lockdown should consider how this will impact on women and children who are victims of VAWC.
But the government should be held accountable first for its criminal negligence in addressing the drastic impact of the total lockdown in our communities, especially on women and children.
The militarized approach in dealing with the public health crisis has enabled some state troops to harass or intimidate women workers and residents in various checkpoints.
Bayan and Gabriela chapters in Metro Manila have stepped up information awareness campaigns to combat domestic violence. We have also mobilized members to gather donation and deliver these goods in select communities.
But the national government should assume the primary responsibility in addressing the basic needs of our people. Its so-called social amelioration program is wholly inadequate, highly selective, and bogged down by bureaucratic inefficiencies.
Authorities should also be oriented about how public health emergencies could intensify VAWC cases, and efforts must be implemented to protect women and children.
We reiterate our urgent demands: free mass testing now, food and cash aid now, protection for frontliners now, and the lifting of unnecessary lockdown restrictions.