In an emergency situation, the role of women in the family multiply tenfold as they become the primary caretakers for the children, the injured or sick, and the elderly. In many cases, women become the main providers and caretakers for their families.
Unknown to many, the burden of care that women assume for their children and others can make it difficult for them to take proper care of themselves. Oftentimes, they may neglect their own needs.
During the humanitarian response for tropical storm Sendong (international name Washi) in the southern Philippines in December 2012, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, with support from the United Nations Population Fund, introduced the concept of “women-friendly space” (WFS) in evacuation camps to ensure that health and social services, including opportunities for livelihood, that cater to women and girls will be accessible to the female survivors of the floods.
On a regular basis, doctors and other health workers provided maternal and child health services in the WFS. There were also information sessions on reproductive health, particularly on family planning and prevention of gender-based violence. There were also sessions that targeted the young population of the evacuation camps, such as prevention of teen pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections. Psychosocial counselling was also available in the WFS.
The WFS was also a venue for distribution of non-food relief items such as the hygiene and dignity kits for pregnant and lactating women, teen hygiene kits for both girls and boys, blankets and medicines.
“I am very thankful that we now have this Balai sa Kababaihan (local term for women-friendly space). This is the first time that my baby and I are getting a check up since we were displaced by the flood,” said a mother who availed of post-natal check up when the first WFS opened in Calaanan 1 tent village in Cagayan de Oro.
When another destructive typhoon (Pablo/Bopha) struck a number of areas in Mindanao (particularly Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley) barely a year later, assessment of the needs of survivors showed that setting up WFS could address some of the needs of women and girls. Thus, DSWD, UNFPA and other local organizations worked together to set up the WFS in affected communities.
“We don’t stop being women because there is a disaster, the DSWD and UNFPA want to make sure that women’s needs are met,” said UNFPA Country Representative Ugochi Daniels during the soft opening of the first WFS in New Bataan, Compostela Valley.
Because of the essential services provided by the WFS, humanitarian response agencies and local governments recognized the need strengthen the concept, as well as improve the capacity of service providers.
Recently, a training was conducted in Davao City for local government implementers on managing WFS and in facilitating information sessions conducted for internally displaced women geared towards women empowerment and gender equality.
Provincial social welfare and development officers and WFS facilitators from the typhoon Pablo-affected municipalities in Compostela Valley participated in the training.
The WFS concept is still on pilot implementation in Compostela Valley but the DSWD hopes that the programme will be expanded after the pilot period, especially if it proves beneficial to the target population.
