migration and asylum regimes that create the situations of vulnerability leading to women and girls being trafficked.2 The Committee also acknowledges that trafficking and exploitation of prostitution in women and girls is unequivocally a phenomenon rooted in structural sex-based discrimination, constituting genderbased violence and often exacerbated in the contexts of displacement, migration, the increased globalization of economic activities, including global supply chains, the extractive and offshore industry, militarization, foreign occupation, armed conflict, violent extremism and terrorism3 The GR discussed the the following as the roots of trafficking of women and girls: (a) socio-economic injustice, (b) discrimination in migration and asylum regimes; (c) demand that fosters exploitation and leads to trafficking; (d) situations of conflict and humanitarian emergencies; (e) the use of digital technology in trafficking. It then recommended measures to uphold victim’s rights including victim identification, application of protection frameworks, non-criminalization and non-conditionality, right to information about rights and legal assistance; right to remedies and gender-sensitive court proceedings. Measures related to data collection, legislative, policy and institutional frameworks were also recommended. This GR is an important guiding document on the implementation of Article 6. It provides guidance for States in the fulfillment of its obligations, including practical guidance on implementing anti-trafficking interventions that are based on a gender transformative and intersectional approach, with the focus on realizing women and girls’ human rights as a strategic priority for achieving sustainable development.4 The UN CEDAW Committee’s 2016 Concluding Observations (CO) for the Philippines’ also provide added insight into the continuing gaps in the state’s obligation to address trafficking. The concluding observations also identified key issues and provided concrete recommendations for the State to follow. The 2016 CO expressed concern that despite expanded legislation on trafficking, the current legal framework ‘does not explicitly cover contemporary methods, such as online matchmaking, which can be used as a tool for trafficking in persons.’ It also observed that prevention of trafficking remains weak especially in the context of disasters and armed conflict, and the limited number of shelters for survivors. Lastly, the Committee expressed concern that a ‘large number of women are subjected to exploitation through prostitution, the continuing criminalization of women in prostitution under the Revised Penal Code, and the need to adopt measure discouraging male demand for prostitution address the root causes of prostitution, provide women with alternative income opportunities, and provide assistance, rehabilitation and reintegration programmes for women and girls exploited in prostitution, in addition to exit programmes for women wishing to leave prostitution.5 The Philippines’ efforts to respond to these observations shall form part of the State’s report for CEDAW in 2020, a report that currently has not been received by the CEDAW Committee. 2 UN CEDAW Committee. GR 38 UN CEDAW Committee.GR 38. (para 10) 4 UN CEDAW Committee.GR 38 (para 6) 5 UN CEDAW Committee.GR 38 (para 30) 3 4