Education, health sectors tap to combat gender-related crimes

Major Maria Teresita Gaspan, the chief of Women’s and Children’s Protection Desk (WCPD) on Thursday’s I Speak Forum, said all police stations in the city are mandated to regularly hold lectures called “men oppose violence against women” which aims to fight gender-based violence by challenging the patriarchal order of traditional gender roles.

Gaspan, who is also the spokesman of Davao City Police Office (DCPO) said the police has also started giving “safe and unsafe touch” lectures and other gender sensitivity seminars among pre-school to high school students, following the resumption of face-to-face classes.

Based on record, the DCPO has recorded 100 rape cases from January to August this year. Out of the number, 68 cases involved victims who are 12 to 17 years old.

Integrated Gender and Development Division (IGDD) head Lorna Mandin, meanwhile, said gender sensitivity education must be taught to children during their developing years. This is why the city government and the Department of Education have signed a Memorandum of Agreement to integrate educational materials on gender-related crimes such as sexual abuse and exploitation into the curriculum. 

Based on the agreement, children will be taught how to discern gender-based crimes and how to deal with them. 

The cooperation between the city’s hospitals and the police is also being bolstered to better monitor victims of gender-based violence, Mandin further said.

She said they will be coordinating more closely with more hospitals, just as it had with the Southern Philippines Medical Center which has a long-established women and children’s desks with a direct line to the DCPO and IGDD.  

Mandin added that there have been numerous requests from the barangays to hold gender-sensitivity lectures for men. Two more lawyers were also hired to exclusively handle rape and sexual abuse cases in the city. 

There are also initiatives from the DCPO cybercrime unit to shut down online sexual exploitation, including tracking down of buyers and sellers of sexual exploitation materials through wire transfers and overseas remittances.