PREPARATION OF THIS NARRATIVE REPORT
This narrative report presents the conduct of Key Informant Interview and the narration of
events that takes place during and after the activity. The main goal of this report stated in
the Key Informant Interview Guide were as follows:
●
Establish a baseline pertaining to the roles and participation of women in small
scale fishing, and of the issues of women fisherfolks including trafficking and GBV,
the implementation of MCW provisions on women fisherfolks, and the impact of the
pandemic;
●
Gather regional data on women fisherfolks and GBV during the COVID-19
Pandemic and the new normal, creating partnerships with communities and CSOs
and strengthening CHR regional office’s situation monitoring on women in the
marginalized sectors as Gender Ombud in their respective regions.
Specifically, the following objectives were gathered in the conduct of this activity.
1. To render visible and document the roles and tasks undertaken by women
fisherfolks in the household and in the community;
2. to monitor the implementation of MCW provisions on women fisherfolks by looking
at: women’s roles, economic participation and recognition, access to information,
resources, and food production; Experiences of marginalization, discrimination;
Gender Based Violence;
3. to document the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Women fisherfolks;
4. to document awareness of and availment by women fisherfolks of government
programs in response to COVID-19;
5. to gather recommendations from the ground.
ABSTRACT
The Commission on Human Rights, as Gender and Development Ombud under the
Magna Carta of Women undertakes regular monitoring of women’s human rights,
especially women in the marginalized sectors. Since the establishment of its Center for
Gender Equality and Women’s Human Rights Center, sectoral monitoring of women,
girls, and LGBTQI human rights have been undertaken. Initial situations were released
on indigenous and rural women, women with disability, LGBTQI, girl-children, women
in detention, urban poor women, and older women. From these sectoral monitoring,
policy recommendations are forwarded to key government agencies. Reports drawn from
women’s insights and identified issues also inform submissions to human rights treaty
bodies and inputs to reports of human rights mandate holders.
One of the key sectors identified by the Magna Carta of Women are women
fisherfolks. While they are amongst the most vulnerable, the Commission has not had
the occasion of focusing on their specific issues and situation. It has been emphasized
that the Philippines, being an archipelago, has for its key industries, the fisheries – and
yet despite this, fisherfolks, and most especially women fisherfolks are among the