from violence, c) health needs, and d) needs for family contact, including children; 3. To monitor the government’s compliance with its obligation with respect to women in detention and to draft corresponding recommendations to promote the rights and dignity of women in detention in accordance with international standards; 4. To surface the gendered nature of detention through women’s lived experiences – including women of reproductive age, those who are gender non-conforming, and those who are elderly; and 5. To provide a space for women in detention to express their hopes and dreams through creative expression – quilt making. The monitoring of the situation of women deprived of liberty was conducted through the Commission’s sixteen regional offices all over the country. From March to November 2019, the regional offices were directed to liaise and coordinate with detention facilities in their areas, seek partnership, and conduct the sectoral monitoring through FGDs and workshops. By the end of 2019, the FGDs and workshops were eventually conducted in twelve regional offices. Participants of the FGDs included diverse groups of women deprived of liberty: heterosexual women of reproductive age, older women, and lesbian, bisexual, and transgender women (LBT). The tools used for data gathering across targeted regions were piloted in three detention facilities in the National Capital Region (NCR) – Makati City Jail, Pasig City Jail, and Mandaluyong Correctional Institute for Women (CIW). These tools contained questions generally divided into the following themes: situation of detention facilities, security and safety, health, and family relations. These tools were subsequently used in FGDs conducted by the Commission’s regional offices in detention facilities in their respective areas of responsibility. Aside from the conduct of FGDs with women in detention, capacity building workshops were also conducted for detention personnel covering standards under the Mandela and Bangkok Rules. Participants voluntarily took part in the discussions. In preparation for activities, participants were asked to fill up personal data sheets and consent forms. Facilitators discussed that strict confidentiality is observed throughout the data gathering and reporting process, where results are only to be used for the latter. Facilitators explained the purpose of the FGDs as a platform in which participants may freely express their 11