NMP Pursues VAW-Free Community

Webinar on RA 9262 or the Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children (VAWC) Act of 2004 and RA 7877 or Anti-Sexual Harassment Act conducted on 20 November 2020 via Zoom

TACLOBAN CITY – The National Maritime Polytechnic (NMP), the sole government maritime training and research center in the Philippines, is a strong and consistent advocate on gender and development in the maritime industry. It pursues gender mainstreaming in the industry through its mandated functions – in conduct of maritime training and maritime research.

Despite of the disruptions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, NMP strives to undertake Gender and Development (GAD) advocacy programs to continually raise the level of gender awareness, sensitivity and responsiveness of NMP personnel and trainees.

On the same note, as NMP transitions the conduct of its trainings and seminars from the face-to-face (F2F) conventional method into the use of online platform, a webinar on RA 9262 or the Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children (VAWC) Act of 2004 and RA 7877 or Anti-Sexual Harassment Act was conducted on 20 November 2020 via Zoom to its trainees and personnel. It was also live streamed through NMP’s official Facebook page.

This activity was part of the NMP’s regular advocacy activity to promote gender equality and women empowerment especially in the male-dominated maritime sector in line with the National 18-Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women this year.

The webinar provided the participants with the strengthened awareness and better understanding of the concept of VAWC and sexual harassment. Likewise, it examined situations where both cases are manifested, presented legal options that the victims may pursue and stressed the importance of the role of women and men in preventing such incidences.

The Resource Person was Ms. Paulina L. Nayra, an independent GAD consultant and certified Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) GAD trainer. She encouraged everyone to address the problem by reporting VAWC and sexual harassment incidents to stop the cycle. Ms. Nayra also urged the participants to respect women, support their children, love their family and be advocates of women’s rights.

Accordingly, the hanging of the 2020 18-Day Campaign to End VAW official streamer, distribution of Anti-VAWC shirts and various advocacy videos were adapted and featured by NMP.

Meanwhile, other NMP GAD advocacy programs for the year, include among others, the face-to-face conduct of Gender Sensitivity Training for Seafarers (GSTS) supplemented by the virtual GSTS; the continuous review of instruction materials to prevent gender biases and stereotype; the conduct of gender-related maritime researches; and various activities for the promotion of the seafaring profession both to males and females.