needs, sentiments, and aspirations, contributing to improving their dayto-day life while in detention. After the FGDs, each participant was asked
to draw symbols of their aspirations on a piece of cloth. A plenary followed
where groups discussed their aspirations and their sketches were sewn into
a quilt.
A separate but related component to the FGDs were the consultations
conducted by the CHR-GEWHRC with CSOs working on the issue of WDL
and with female wardens in NCR. These consultations covered the same
thematic issues pertaining to the situation in detention facilities, issues
of safety and security, of gender-specific needs, and of health and family
relations. Where relevant, the discussions from the two consultations are
incorporated in this report.
Participants of the Study
A total of 241 female detainees participated in FGDs across regions 1, 3,
4-A,5,7, 8,9,10,11,12, CARAGA, and NCR. Majority of the participants are
detained on drug-related charges. Estafa and other crimes similar to fraud
and stealing are the next common cases. Out of more than two hundred
participants, not more than twenty are charged with violent crimes which
include murder, child abuse, human trafficking, and arson. An overwhelmed
justice system has kept the majority of these women in pre-trial detention
for at least a few months to several years, barely receiving updates on the
status of their cases.
Prior to detention, most participants worked low-paying manual jobs as
housekeepers, caregivers, farmers, and street vendors, among others.
Some had no paid jobs and tended to caregiving and home maintenance
in their own households. Few detained women worked in public office,
sales, or as teachers or nurses. Regardless of jobs, most participants took
traditionally assigned care work, particularly tending to children and elderly
members of their households.
While a few were able to reach college level, majority of the participants
achieved low literacy with access only to primary and secondary levels
of schooling. Of the total number of participants, only four are college
graduates. Participants with degrees are concentrated in NCR.
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