4 of its treaty obligations. Part of the Commission’s work as Gender Ombud is addressing different forms of discriminaiton against women and girls, including gender-based violence. Recognizing the continuing prevalence of gender-based violence and the persistence of barriers to women’s access to justice, CHR, with funding support from Go Just, undertook its Gender Based Violence Observatory Project (GBV Observatory). It began in 2018 spearheaded by the Center for Gender Equality and Women’s Human Rights (CGEWHR) and led by focal Commissioner for Women, Commissioner Karen Gomez Dumpit. The GBV observatory is envisioned as a resource hub for GBV with a repository of GBV data that include normative standards on GBV from the international to domestic level, GBV research on how related laws are implemented, and documentation of how GBV manifests in the lived experiences of women. The GBV observatory contributes to the monitoring of the State’s obligations in addressing GBV and in forwarding key policy recommendations. The project aims for a deeper and wider understanding of GBV, enhancing women’s access to justice, and in general, making data work for women. This is significant to furthering one of the key targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) which refers to gender equality (SDG 5), emphasizing the elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls in public and private spaces, including trafficking and sexual violence as well as other types of exploitation. Specific objectives of the project include 1) the review of the roles of state actors in addressing GBV; 2) the mapping of existing legal referral mechanisms, and; 3) the documentation of processes, key themes and discourses, including the identification of issues, gaps, and challenges. The project has three key components. First, GBV framework and mapping of GBV legal referral mechanisms were developed in five key pilot areas from May of 2018 to February of 2019. Areas covered were the local governments of Marikina, Batangas City, Guian, Samar, Zamboanga City, Koronadal, and South Cotabato. Second, a call for GBV research was made in line with validation forums and other activities featuring a study on extrajudicial killings (EJKs) through a gender lens and a child’s perspective. Third, regional mapping of legal referral mechanisms were carried out in other regions completing all the Commission’s 16 regional offices. The latter ensures sustainability through building capacity among regional CHR offices to implement GBV mapping and monitoring in their respective areas of responsibility, as well as through strengthening local inter-agency responses to GBV. II. Methodology As part of the GBV Observatory, the regional mapping of legal referral mechanisms was carried out to identify existing mechanisms, policies, and protocols responding to GBV