Results of the Community-Based Peer Monitoring
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Peer Monitors in Action
During the course of the peer monitoring, peer monitors, together with the
Commission’s Center for Gender Equality and Women’s Human Rights have
been responding to the submitted results of the peer monitoring. The results
were not only forwarded to key government agencies like DSWD and PDAO,
they were not only disseminated through a series of webinars, they were also
used to directly respond to women with disabilities’ needs. Peer monitors flagged
women they have monitored who were unable to receive releif goods, and CHRGEWHRC, through its partnership with the feminist NGO Power in Her Story
was able to send immediate relief consisting of food packs and sanitary napkins
through lalamove or grab delivery. Medical needs were also communicated to
PDAO officers, the Department of Health in the case of a child with disability,
and to Power in Her Story or individual donors for assistance. In cases of GBV
response, the report of one peer monitordocumenting suicide ideation and
cases of sexual violence resulted in the provision of CHR temporary shelter
support and psychosocial counselling referral for a woman with bipolar disorder.
Another peer monitor actively reported cases of deaf women she monitored
who became persons under monitoring (PUM) for COVID-19. This prompted the
CHR-GEWHRC to refer to the City Health of Quezon City and to provide relief
assistance through Power in Her Story.
During the onslaught of the typhoon Ulysses, and even beyond the period
of the community based-peer monitoring program, peer monitors continued to
monitor the situation of women with disabilities they were in contact with during
the CBPM. This prompted person with disability specific relief drive of Power in
Her Story and CHR-GEWHRC for blind masseurs and PWD organizations in
Montalban, Rizal. More recently, a peer monitor also responded to a woman with
disability in need who needed financial assistance during pregnancy and childbirth. Recognizing the important role of the peer monitors in monitoring human
rights situations of women with disabilities, and as a follow through to webinars
with government agencies and persons with disability on the monitoring results,
the Commission also convened the peer monitors and formed the BKKK or
Bantay Karapatan ng mga Kababaihang may Kapansanan. This formalized the
role of peer monitors in continuing their advocacy and monitroing of the situaion
of their fellow women with disabilities.