The Ministry of Social Services and Development (MSSD), in partnership with Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD), held a talk show on Safe Spaces Act or Republic Act No. 11313 (Bawal Bastos Law) on 12 December 2022, which was broadcasted simultaneously on the Facebook pages of MSSD, WFD, MSSD provincial offices, Bangsamoro Government, Office of MP Atty. Raissa H. Jajurie, Voice FM Cotabato, and Bangsamoro Multimedia Network. This is to celebrate the 18th and final day of Campaign to End Violence Against Women, with the theme “UNiTED for a VAW-free Bangsamoro”, which started on 25 November.
The resource speakers, MSSD Minister Atty. Raissa H. Jajurie and Atty. Nabilah E. Mohamad tackled the background of this Act on the first part of the program and various forms of gender-based harassment, which can happen in places such as public place, online place, workplace, and educational and training institutions.
“This Act was passed to eradicate any form of gender-based harassment, which can be perpetrated in different places. Thus, the national government and local government units (LGUs) should strengthen the implementation of this law to protect the vulnerable sectors of the society like the women and children.” Minister Jajurie highlighted.
This was followed by an open forum, wherein the queries of the panel of reactors from the women, youth, and indigenous people (IP) sectors were answered by Minister Jajurie and Atty. Mohamad.
Among the suggestions from the resource speakers and panel of reactors include the formulation of Committee on Decorum and Investigation (CODI) from each workplace and educational institution that will receive the complaints of the victims; creation of active helpline; production of Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials that convey the messaging of this Act; information drive about Safe Spaces Act that uses simple language easily comprehended by general public like the students; and contextualization of the implementation of this Act in the Bangsamoro region.
#UpliftingBangsamoroLives #18DayCampaigntoEndVAW #MSSDBARMM #WFDBangsamoro #BARMM #MSSD
