Mining has also divided the community between those who are for and against it. This resulted to rifts within families living in the same community. It was noted that only the promining groups are given livelihood opportunities while those who voice out their concerns on the effects of mining elicit discrimination and are often deprived from getting the same opportunities. Despite all these issues, application of mining companies continues to be accepted and processed. This translates to increase in mining operations thereby further multiplying its negative effects and security threats to rural women and their communities. Security of rural women and their communities are also threatened by natural calamities such as typhoon, flash flood, landslides, erosion and earthquakes. Natural disasters are inevitable, but fortunately, there are training opportunities on how to prepare for these occurrences. 4. Issues related to culture The rural women belonging to the IP sector aired that the four bundles of IP rights stated in the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997 (RA 8371 also known as the IPRA law), have been violated. These 4 rights are: 1) right to ancestral domain, 2) right to self-governance and empowerment, 3) social justice and human rights, and 4) cultural integrity. Land grabbing within their ancestral domain is one of the violations. Destruction of their sacred places is another violation that demonstrates immense disrespect to indigenous people’s culture and traditions. Another issue is the non-implementation of guidelines on selection of Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative (IPMR). Indigenous communities need a suitable representative to champion the resolution of the multiple issues concerning their sector. 5. Violence against Women The economic stress that rural women experience due to loss of livelihood has led some of them to prostitution. Lack of income to augment daily needs has also pushed their children to work in bars. Abuses to women as a result of the influx of business operations in their areas were also noted. There have been reports of women being raped inside plantations and mining sites. There was also a report that IP girl-children, as young as 12 to 13 years old, are sold as “second wives” to some business employees who are already married but whose families live in Manila. The parents of said children are allegedly paid a sum of money in addition to giving them jobs. 6. Lack of access to Social Services Rural women, especially those living in deeply remote areas, have very limited access to social services due to the difficulty in reaching them. Damaged roads and impassable rivers further contribute to this. Inputs of Stakeholders on the Protection of Rural Women’s Rights 5