Violence and abuse are some of the issues faced by our Eco Warriors. Many lack awareness of relevant laws and procedures, causing them to be prone and vulnerable to these issues. More than half of them are women, and some have experienced violence and abuse. In some cases, victims kept silent because of fear and an inability to assert their rights.
With the support of USAID, Clean Cities Blue Ocean, Women in Waste Economic Empowerment, Project Eco Kolek conducted a 2-day gender empowerment and gender-based violence training with Arianne Oligario. Held in Barangay Bancao-Bancao and Sicsican in Puerto Princesa on January 18 and 19, 2024.
The training emphasized the protection of rights against abuse and violence. The Eco Warriors acquired knowledge about VAWC, Bawal Bastos, and the Safe Spaces Act, which helped them realize their basic rights. The discussion explained that abuse is not limited to sexual and physical forms but can also manifest as emotional and economic abuse. It introduced social agencies and services that are accessible to them when violence or abuse occurs to them, in their household, and in the community they belong to.
Through this training, we empowered 14 male and 29 female Eco Warriors. An Eco Warrior shared, "Hindi na ako papayag na saktan ako ulit ng asawa ko." We desire that through this initiative, we can lessen or end violence in the lives and community of our Eco Warriors.
