Comic Books Heighten Awareness of Violence Against Women
The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Tuesday launched comic books tackling the issue of violence against women (VAW) – ranging from physical, psychological to economic abuse.
The launch of the comic books complements the joint program of the DILG, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Department of Education (DepEd), the Department of Health (DoH), and the Philippine Commission on Women to establish VAW desks in every barangay in hopes of curbing discrimination against women.
DILG Secretary Jesse M. Robredo said that comic books would be an informative tool in explaining the real score of VAW to everybody from all walks of life.
Robredo said that everybody loves to read comic books and would best be shared by people from the barangay.
“We should start with the barangay level first, so that this will be a way to help abused women, and give attention to their problems,” said Robredo.
In an interview with Manila Bulletin, Marlene Po, a kagawad of Barangay San Lorenzo in Makati City and chairperson of the Committee on Culture and Education, said that the comic books will help people understand what VAW is all about.
Po shared that people often assume that VAW merely pertains to physical abuse, and that they do not fully grasp how abused women really suffer.
“There is also psychological and economic abuse, and these two are just as bad as physical abuse,” she said.
“When a man puts a woman down, telling her that she will never amount to anything, that’s called psychological abuse. When a man, who is the family breadwinner, refuses to give a woman money, threatening to cut her off financially if she doesn’t obey him, then that’s economic abuse.”
Po added that Filipino women often suffer from the “Battered Woman Syndrome.”
With this, women feel embarrassed to share with the public her physical abuse ordeals and keeps her problems to themselves, she said.
Even after suffering many cuts and bruises from the hands of her husband, the victim gives in to her tormentor as soon as he feigns remorse, Po said.
“The problem is that some women tend to be forgiving because they are not financially independent and cannot leave their husbands,” said Po.
VAW desks in every barangay will help give women a sense of protection, she said.
“Women can run to their barangays if she is in danger, and the barangay can give the woman counseling and shelter,” she said.
If the VAW case is really serious, the barangay will help the abused file a case in court and even help her issue seek a temporary restraining order, she said.
"What we are doing are just taking little steps, but little steps count,” she said.
Source: Manila Bulletin
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