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Women talk on economic crisis

BAGUIO CITY (Date) — In preparation for the Regional Women’s Economic Summit, Innabuyog-Gabriela held a forum dubbed “Kapihan ng Gabriela:Usapang Krisis” earlier this week to discuss the economic crisis and its impact on women.

According to Innabuyog Secretary General Vernie Yocogan-Diano, one of the manifestations of the worsening economic crisis is the growing number of Filipinos leaving the country to work abroad. She said that 80% of the 4,010 overseas Filipino workers (OFW) who leave the country daily are women. She added that women are more prone to abuse and maltreatment abroad. She also mentioned that women become vulnerable to human trafficking and illegal recruitment in search for jobs abroad.

According to Migrante-Cordillera spokesperson Flora Belinan, women OFWs are forced to endure abuse and maltreatment in order to provide a decent life for their family. “Kung may trabaho dito sa atin, sino ba naman ang gustong pumunta pa sa ibang bansa para magpa-alila at magpaabuso,” (If employment were available here, who would want to go abroad to be enslaved and abused) she stressed.

In addition, Diano warned that there is a foreseen increase in violence against women due to the economic crisis. She explained that to augment the family income, some women fall into prostitution. She added that there are instances when husbands vent their frustrations at work on their wives.

Innabuyog-Gabriela vowed to oppose additional taxes and increase in the education budget, to scrap oil deregulation and decisive action on graft and corruption. # Kim Quitasol for NORDIS

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