CEDAW/C/PHL/Q/7-8/Add.1 1.11 Eleven bills pending in Congress amend Art. 202 of the RPC by: • redefining prostitution and persons exploited in prostitution • targeting the demand side by shifting the criminal liability to buyers/facilitators of the act • treating prostituted persons as victims • according higher penalties to those committing child prostitution Pre-mature marriage (amending RPC Art. 351) 1.12 The act of premature marriage has been decriminalized by RA 10655 passed in 2015. Status of the draft Philippine Code of Crimes (PCC) and its difference from RPC 1.13 The completed draft of the PCC will be endorsed to Congress in 2016. Its salient features include: • Structure based on central themes with common features • Penal provisions rationalized and categorized as either crimes against persons, property, or the state • Consolidation of provisions in the RPC referring to same criminal act • Review of outdated penal provisions • Inclusion of trans-border crimes • Penal provisions are conduct-based Measures to enhance the awareness about gender equality, the Convention and international human rights standards 1.14 Measures taken from 2012-2016 to enhance awareness: • Gender sensitivity trainings (GSTs) and seminars on CEDAW for 384 male and 407 female justices and lawyers of the Supreme Court, Sandiganbayan, the Court of Appeals, and the lower courts. • Seminars related to women’s and children’s rights for 10,443 court interpreters, court social workers, clerks of court, lawyers and aspirants to judicial posts. • Seminars on trafficking in persons (TIP) for 3,898 judges, lawyers, prosecutors, court personnel, other concerned government agencies, barangay officials and civil society groups. 1.15 Information caravans on MCW and Anti-Violence against Women (VAW) laws held in six provinces reaching 1,043 audiences. 1.16 Annual campaigns conducted to raise awareness on CEDAW, MCW, related laws and international human rights standards. 16-06662 3/33