By Aerol B. Patena
MANILA, (PNA) — The Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD) launched Thursday its policy brief on human trafficking in Southeast Asia at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Makati City.
The brief will provide policymakers background information on trafficking of women in each country, consequences in practice, policy and legal framework, and policy recommendations.
In his address at the event, Ifugao Rep. Teodoro Brawner-Baguilat stated that poverty and lack of decent employment force Filipinos especially women to work abroad.
“In many destination countries, commercial sexual exploitation and demands for inexpensive labor have increased over the past decades. Many studies reveal that labor migration directly correlates with trafficking of women and children and the Philippines is vulnerable to such correlation because feminization of labor has been in continuity. Trafficking of women has increased tremendously” Baguilat said.
Potential victims are indifferent to the dangers of trafficking as they are lured by higher income and a better future in other countries, according to the legislator.
“Gender inequality exists as women are still typecast as sexual objects or commodities which expose them to exploitation and discrimination,” Baguilat related.
Sustaining the economic growth and creation of jobs in the country will help prevent the exploitation of women and provide them opportunities for decent employment. “I hope that typecasting, discrimination and sexual exploitation of women will be finally eradicated. To do this, we have to strengthen the rule of law and enforce the Anti-Trafficking Law,” according to Baguilat.
The launching of the policy brief is a project of the AFPPD Standing Committee of Male Parliamentarians on Prevention of Violence Against Women and Girls to tackle violence against women issues with focus on child marriage in South Asia and trafficking in Southeast Asia with support from the Australian Government Overseas Aid Programme (AusAID).
Members of the Standing Committee along with Southeast Asian Members of Parliament (MPs) are here in the country from October 17 to 18, 2013 to discuss trafficking issues in the sub-region through gender perspectives. The legislators will formulate policy actions and national responses to address trafficking and violence against women.