Mandaluyong City, 28 November 2024 – More than 80 representatives from government agencies at national and local levels, civil society organizations (CSO), the diplomatic community, as well as international experts, participated in a national forum on improving the survivors-centered gender-based violence (GBV) data system which was co-organized by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) from 27 to 28 November in Mandaluyong City.
With support from the Government of Canada, the National GBV Data Forum: Advancing Survivor-centered GBV Administrative Data Systems provided a venue for the participants to (1) gain a common understanding of what entails to have human rights-based, survivor-centered, and gender-responsive data systems; (2) address gaps and challenges in the current GBV data systems; and (3) learn from other countries’ best practices. Government, and academic experts from Australia, Denmark and Mexico flew to the Philippines to share their respective organizations’ strategies, best practices and lessons learnt, which could be applied to and help improve the GBV data systems in the country.
“Data is not just numbers. It tells the story of survivors – stories of pain, courage, and resilience. As stewards of this data, we bear a profound responsibility to collect and use it with the utmost respect for human dignity, confidentiality, and rights,” Dr Leila Joudane, Country Representative, UNFPA Philippines, reminded the participants during the forum’s opening session. She further emphasized the need to ensure that the Philippines' GBV data systems would not only be human rights-based, survivor-centered, and gender-responsive, but also ethical, secure, and aligned across all sectors.
The participants emphasized the need for strengthened cross-sectoral collaboration to ensure cohesive and interoperable data systems. Ms Ermelita Valdeavilla, PCW Chairperson, highlighted the importance of building on the current momentum by strengthening the country’s technical working group for this area of work, and expanding its membership to include more key agencies, such as the Philippine Statistics Authority. “Additionally, we will standardize data collection and sharing protocols. We aim to establish a comprehensive and accessible repository of VAW data, enabling us to make informed decisions and implement targeted interventions to protect and empower women,” she said.
The National Action Plan to End Violence Against Women, 2025-2030 (NAP-EVAW) – developed with support from UNFPA and launched on 25 November, during the kickoff of the Philippines’ 18-Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women – includes improving data systems among the priority activities for addressing GBV. NAP-EVAW will serve as a tool to potentially mobilize domestic funding, obtain international development support, and advocate for legislative and political commitment to this area of work.
“Our efforts to align data systems across various government agencies are ongoing, and this data forum played a significant role in identifying and addressing the challenges we face with data digitization. As the Chair of the Inter-Agency Council on Violence Against Women and their Children (IACVAWC) and the lead agency in social protection in the Philippines, the DSWD will employ the shared expertise, insights, and experiences gained from this forum to address GBV and assist the victim-survivors,” said Atty Emmeline Aglipay Villar, DSWD Undersecretary for International Affairs, and Attached and Supervised Agencies.
During the forum, the participants agreed to facilitate the subsequent development of agency roadmaps to enhance GBV data collection and utilization. These roadmaps will guide the integration and interoperability of data systems across various sectors, upholding survivor-centered principles.
“Data lies at the foundation for generating effective interventions, including prevention and response measures, for addressing gender-based violence,” H.E. David Hartman, Ambassador of Canada to the Philippines, remarked. He reaffirmed Canada’s strong commitment to support efforts to eliminate gender-based violence in the Philippines. “We believe this is a vital step towards creating a safer, more equitable and inclusive society for all,” he continued.
H.E. Saija Sinikka Nurminen, Ambassador of Finland to the Philippines, H.E Marie Fontanel, Ambassador of France to the Philippines, and Mr Peter Adams, Counsellor for Development, Australian Embassy in the Philippines, also attended the forum and expressed their support for this important initiative in the country. H.E. Mario Massimo Santoro, Ambassador of the European Union to the Philippines, sent a message of support through a video recording.
The National GBV Data Forum concluded with a resounding commitment from participants to advance survivor-centered data systems in the Philippines. Key stakeholders pledged to strengthen coordination and accountability, fostering collaboration to build a more robust and responsive GBV data ecosystem.
