Maramag Focus Group Discussio on Gender Based Violence Referral Mechanism October 3, 2019 Maramag, Bukidnon on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE) issues; guide on assisting women victims; guide on investigation and provision of services, aid, education etc. The Maramag study on “Making Data Work for Women” / Gender Based Violence Referral Mechanism – is a component of the Human Rights Observatory program under the Gender Based Violence Observatory Project and information gathered will also be part of the information available on its observatory website. Atty. Palma presented international and domestic legal bases for the government obligations to work against gender based violence and protect its victims. To concretize the protection mechanisms provided by these legal bases for women, Atty Piay cited two cases of Filipinas getting favorable response by the CEDAW Committee on their respective complaints of discrimination against women by the government of the Philippines – these cases further underscored the need for women to access multidisciplinary gender responsive interventions and services by the Philippine government for gender based violations. Atty. Palma also presented the existing GBV Referral System of the government which provides for a general referral flow form the barangay level up to the national. To end her discussion on the background of the project Atty. Palma presented some data gathered from the 2017 National Demographic Survey - which Housing showed among others reasons for domestic spousal abuse as well as attitudes to gender based violence – and the 2018 PNP data on gender / sexual related crimes. Page 5 of 13