|
Abstract
|
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a multifactorial problem encountered in various life periods, necessitating an individualised, life-course approach. Such an approach might pose substantial challenges in low-income and middle-income countries, such as the Philippines, where gaps in mental health care remain unaddressed.
In 2018, the first mental health legislation in the Philippines was established. However, challenges remain in the implementation and underuse of mental health care services. The unprecedented lockdown as a response to COVID-19 widened the gaps in providing the mental health care needed by people who have experienced IPV. Lockdown measures and the so-called culture of silence in Filipino communities prevented people from reporting abuse. However, between September, 2019, and November, 2020, internet searches for violence against women increased by 63% and queries related to seeking help increased by 10%.
The existing Philippine domestic violence law mandated the creation of community-based violence against women desks as frontline service providers to people who have experienced abuse. These community desks link survivors to a range of support services, from medical and psychiatric services to employment assistance. However, the law mainly focuses on women and children. Many survivors are discouraged from going through the legal processes due to the burden of gathering evidence, prolonged judicial procedures, and social stigma. Although national prevalence data on forms of violence against women exist, poor analysis and coordination of these data inhibit the law's full effectiveness.
To understand the full effects of IPV, the Philippine government should
Language: en |