Press Releases
Signing and Exchange of Notes Concerning Grant Aid “The Project for the Protection and Empowerment of Women for Addressing Women's Health Needs and Responding to Gender-based Violence in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao” to the Republic of the Philippines
On October 29, in Manila, the capital of the Republic of the Philippines, Mr. ENDO Kazuya, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Republic of the Philippines, and Ms. Leila Saiji Joudane, Country Representative, United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) Philippines, signed and exchanged notes concerning the grant aid project for the Protection and Empowerment of Women for Addressing Women's Health Needs and Responding to Gender-based Violence in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (grant provision of up to 724 million yen).
- In Mindanao, women's rights tend to be suppressed, mainly due to the still unstable security situation caused by the long-standing conflict.
- The Philippine National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) conducted in 2022 found that 5.6% of women aged 15-49 in Mindanao have experienced physical, mental, or sexual violence by their husbands, intimate partners, or others, although it tends to be underreported due to the need to protect family honor and a cultural background where silence is a virtue. However, there are still many problems related to gender-based violence, such as the result that 5.6% of women aged 15-49 in Mindanao have experienced physical, mental, or sexual violence by their husbands or intimate partners.
- This project aims to establish facilities to protect and support women and other vulnerable groups from gender-based violence and an obstetrics and gynecology clinic that responds to violence in the Bangsamoro region of Mindanao, and to provide vocational training and education for leaders in advocacy for women's rights and health care in these facilities. The project will contribute to the promotion of peace, stability, development, and progress in Mindanao by improving access to medical facilities, preventing and eradicating violence, and promoting the empowerment of women in the region.
The Republic of the Philippines has an area of approximately 300,000 square kilometers (approximately 80% of the Japan’s area), a population of about 117.34 million people (2023, World Bank), and a gross national income (GNI) per capita is 4,230 USD (2023, World Bank).