CEDAW/C/PHI/4
English
Page 32
prostituted women on their human and legal rights, health care, relevant
political issues and feminist values.
80. On the issue of comfort women, the Government formed an Inter-agency Task
Force on Comfort Women to coordinate the efforts of government agencies. Health
cards have been issued by the Department of Health. The Department of Justice
helps document the cases of those who came forward as comfort women. The Task
Force Lila (an association of comfort women), the Asian Women's Human Rights
Council and GABRIELA have taken the lead in the campaign for the indemnification
of these women and has documented over 200 cases.
81. Stop Trafficking of Pilipinas (STOP), an alliance formed in 1983, meanwhile
concentrates on a programme called "stopping at the source" and engages in
prevention activities. It has campaigned against pornography and lobbied for
legal reforms to put an end to commercial sex slavery.
82. Among the accomplishments of the Center for the Prevention and Treatment of
Child Sexual Abuse (CPTCSA), a non-governmental organization, is prevention
education on child sexual abuse, which includes topics like personal safety and
decision-making, touching, assertiveness, support systems, physical abuse and
neglect, and gender stereotyping. It also conducted an awareness campaign for
the general public about child sexual abuse.
83. The work of CPTCSA was facilitated by the following: willingness of
schools and other organizations to include in their curriculum an education
programme on the prevention of child sexual abuse; active participation and
cooperation of parents in the programme; training of teachers and others about
child sexual abuse and the use of a prevention curriculum; and legislative and
corporate support for the awareness campaign. Conversely, hindering factors
have been the prevailing attitudes, stereotypes and beliefs that place women and
children in a disadvantaged position; the apathy among people who believe "It's
not happening"; societal norms that tolerate the abuse of children (some parents
abuse their own children or one parent tolerates the abuse); inadequate or
ineffective implementation of laws for cases of incest and rape (for children);
and inadequate facilities and trained staff to handle child sexual abuse cases.
84. So far, CPTCSA accomplishments include the following: the preparation and
revision of a draft child sexual abuse prevention curriculum for elementary and
high school (Grades 3 and 5 materials are being finalized); the ongoing pilot of
these materials in a school and in urban poor communities; written disclosures
from children; and the recent formation of a coalition to plan for a Sexual
Assault Awareness Week scheduled for February 1996.
Other efforts
85. Law enforcement officers, beginning with women in the police force, are
undergoing training to ensure better handling of women clients, particularly
victims of rape, wife-battering and prostitution.
86. The Department of Public Welfare and Development has made efforts to
prevent sexual exploitation of migrant women through networking activities with
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