GENDER OMBUD REPORT 2016 With regard to disaster planning, the Region IX DRRM Council stated that the region has adopted a disaster risk and management plan in 2016. The plan was a result of collaboration of several sectors, including the women. WOMEN IN ESPECIALLY DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES (SEC. 30) As defined under the MCW, women in especially difficult circumstances “refer to victims and survivors of sexual and physical abuse, illegal recruitment, prostitution, trafficking, armed conflict, women in detention, victims and survivors of rape and incest, and such other related circumstances which have incapacitated them functionally.” 30 The Commission’s inquiry on the compliance to this MCW provision revolved around WEDC services, particularly of the DSWD, and the situation of women in detention. The former had been already discussed in the previous sections of this chapter. 28 for female inmates – the Bulacan Provincial Jail. Women in detention expressed the need for conjugal visits to fulfil their sexual needs. Some women also consider this ecessary to fulfill thier marital obligations and to deter extramarital affairs. The CHR-CAR also raised the need for culturally sensitive conjugal visitation homes. • For pregnant women, visits to the obstetriciangynecologists are allowed only with court approval. Detention centers, like the female dorms in Quezon City, however have nurses and on-call doctors. • Inadequate facilities remain to be a problem. With fewer female detention centers and the rising number of arrests of females due to the war on drugs, female detention centers have become congested.31 This affects the hygiene and health of the inmates. The CHR Regional Offices regularly conduct visits and monitoring of detention centers, including those for women. The observations of the Regional Offices are as follows: • Most policies of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) referring to women in detention are limited to provisions on the treatment of pregnant inmates or inmates caring for their children inside prisons. • Most female detention centers do not allow conjugal visits due lack of facilities and difficulties in handling pregnancies in detention. One facility allows for conjugal visits Section 30, Magna Carta of Women. During the monitoring period, the data available on women detained due to armed conflict is only from Region IX. Based on the AFP data, there are currently two such cases in the region. These involved women who joined the New People’s Army. One was arrested in 2012, the other in 2014. 30 31