The Department of Social Welfare and Development  (DSWD) visited the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) this week to learn about Women-Friendly Spaces implemented through the “Resilient Livelihoods Development (RLD) for Women and Youth Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Maguindanao” supported by the Australian Government, and jointly implemented by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Staff members of DSWD’s Disaster Response Management Bureau and Social Technology Bureau visited two out of the five WFS in BARMM and met with their counterparts at the Ministry of Social Services and Development (MSSD) to learn about best practices that can be incorporated in the enhancement of the agency’s “Manual on Women Friendly Spaces: A Guide for Service Providers.” The manual aims to define the minimum standards and services in a WFS and provide guidelines to operationalize it. This will also serve as a tool by which WFS across the country will be monitored. This exchange of knowledge will ensure the WFS program remains dynamic, responsive to the evolving needs of women and girls, reaches the most left behind, and effectively supports their empowerment, even in the most challenging circumstances. 

WFS are originally tents deployed during humanitarian emergencies. Republic Act 10821 or the Children's Emergency Relief Protection Act and the Joint Memorandum Circular Series No. 2 2021 Camp Coordination and Camp Management on IDPs mandate the establishment of WFS within evacuation centers to serve as safe havens for addressing the immediate physical, emotional, and psychosocial needs of women and girls affected by crisis. 

Building upon this framework is the RLD programme’s establishment of semi-permanent WFS, which have become essential community hubs. The semi-concrete facilities offer women and girls protection, support, and a safe space to discuss issues, understand their rights, and advocate for change. Trusted community members, who are trained to become WFS facilitators by UNFPA implementing partner Mindanao Organization for Social and Economic Progress (MOSEP) drive this year-round model that fosters resilience and development beyond disaster response.

Among the unique features of the BARMM WFS’ are: 

• Being community-led;
• Existing and functional in humanitarian and non-humanitarian situations;
• Multi-purpose, multi-sectoral with the primary goal of supporting the needs of women and girls.

During a courtesy call, MSSD Minister Raissa Jajurie talked about how the unique culture of BARMM and the existing government structure has resulted in the current evolved version of the WFS. She also pointed out the recurring displacement faced by residents of the target areas due to armed conflict and flooding, which exposes them to more vulnerabilities.  These nuances were considered in the establishment of the five WFS that are being recognized by MSSD as a huge help in addressing the needs of the most marginalized women in the region.

BARMM was formed in 2019 after peace talks between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. As an autonomous region, it has its own social welfare agency that is separate from DSWD. Despite this, the MSSD implements some of DSWD’s projects. UNFPA organized the DSWD learning visit to facilitate the exchange of experiences between the two agencies when it comes to addressing women and girls’ needs during and beyond emergencies.

Recognizing the impact that the WFS has had in the communities where it is present, Minister Jajurie expressed her hope that the enhanced WFS become a permanent fixture in the region. Even with  the upcoming devolution of social welfare services, she and her office are actively finding ways to sustain and expand the WFS model, citing the Bangsamoro GAD Code as a potential entry point.  She is also hopeful that local governments will recognize the benefits of these facilities and adopt this in other municipalities.

Of the five WFS under the RLD programme, DSWD and UNFPA visited facilities in Datu Odin Sinsuat and Talitay in Maguindanao del Norte. 

Discussions with WFS facilitators, local government service providers and MSSD staff, revealed both challenges and opportunities faced during the implementation of the project.

The MSSD expressed appreciation for the WFS facilitators who have aided the government in implementing maternal health services, and in raising awareness about sexual and reproductive health and rights, gender-based violence prevention and response, and other services.

They cited how the facilitators have been able to increase participation in health activities — amid vaccine hesitancy during the COVID-19 pandemic and measles outbreak— and how they have been able to explain the negative effects of gender-based violence, adolescent pregnancy,  and child, early and forced marriage (CEFM) with parents and couples.

Another factor that made the project successful was the inclusion of community leaders, including Muslim religious  leaders and teachers, in discussions where community members had to be convinced to receive medical care or cases involving gender-based violence and harmful practices such as child marriage.

During the devastating aftermath of Typhoon Paeng which struck Maguindanao in the last quarter of 2022, the WFS facilitators provided invaluable support to the MSSD. They played a crucial role in identifying the families most affected by the typhoon, facilitating the distribution of essential relief packs, and offering counseling referrals to grieving mothers who had suffered unimaginable losses. Through their compassionate actions and dedication, the WFS facilitators have built deep trust within their communities and have become an indispensable extension of the MSSD's efforts to reach the most left behind.

After the visit, the DSWD team expressed admiration for the dedication of the WFS facilitators, who went above and beyond their call of duty. They cited how the facilitators started with little knowledge and through the training they have become empowered members of the community who can adequately assist in the service delivery of government partners.

A key strength of the BARMM model is the community-led approach to the WFS, where facilitators are drawn from the local community. This fosters year-round service continuity and establishes facilitators as trusted sources of information and support for government services. The strategic placement of WFS near the RHU further enables seamless coordination between health and social welfare providers, ensuring survivor-centered referrals. Stories shared by WFS facilitators highlight their role in empowering women and girls, while also empowering themselves to become advocates for their rights. The DSWD team is eager to share these insights with other field offices as they implement WFS, and will look into the idea of extending the WFS concept beyond emergencies.

The team said they can learn from the support system and the sense of community that the WFS facilitators and the project have been able to foster. Conversations with the facilitators showed how they supported each other despite being responsible for different areas. They also received support from the community, MOSEP and government partners, allowing them to really address the needs of women and girls.

The DSWD team expressed gratitude for the opportunity to learn from the WFS and their counterparts in the MSSD. They also expressed hope for continuing collaboration with UNFPA. #