Inclusive, Equitable, and Future-Ready: ACWC, PCW, CWC, and Partners Strengthen Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration for Ending Violence against Women and Children

Posted on September 29, 2025

Inclusive, Equitable, and Future-Ready: ACWC, PCW, CWC, and Partners Strengthen Multi Stakeholder Collaboration for Ending Violence against Women and Children

In a significant step towards ending Violence against Women (VAW) and Violence against Children (VAC), the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC), the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), and the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) hosted a national consultation to assess the previous ASEAN Regional Plan of Action (RPA) on VAW and VAC (2020-2025) and provide inputs to the formulation of the ASEAN RPA on VAW and VAC (2026-2035).

Aptly dubbed as “Building a Violence-Free Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN): National Consultation for the Regional Plans of Action on the Elimination of Violence Against Women (EVAW) and the Elimination of Violence Against Children (EVAC)”, the September 18-19, 2025 event held in Pasig City brought together key stakeholders from government, civil society, and the academe.

During the two-day consultation, the participants consolidated insights and strategies into RPAs that aim to address pressing and emerging concerns on EVAW and EVAC. These plans, which will guide regional efforts until 2035 are focused on creating a long-term, inclusive vision which will ensure that every woman and child is protected, valued, and empowered to live free from violence.

The consultation was supported by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women (UN Women).Setting the tone for the event, Director Bolivar L. Bao of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs, stressed that despite strengthened efforts, women and children in Southeast Asia remain vulnerable to sexual exploitation, armed conflict, extremism, discrimination, climate crisis, and displacement. He underscored that the success of the workshop rests on the active contributions of the participants, ensuring that the RPAs on EVAW and EVAC are inclusive, equitable, and responsive to evolving challenges.

^{ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Director, Bolivar L. Bao, delivers an opening address, underscoring their commitment to eliminating violence against women and children in Southeast Asia.}

Meanwhile, United Nations Resident Coordinator in the Philippines Arnaud Peral commended the Philippines for its sustained efforts in policy-making and forging partnerships toward a violence-free future for women and children. He highlighted that the country continues to serve as a role model in advancing initiatives to end violence against women and children.

^{UN Resident Coordinator in the Philippines, Arnauld Peral, commends the country’s exemplary initiatives for EVAW and EVAC.}

As the lead agency in implementing social protection initiatives, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), represented by Undersecretary, Atty. Adonis P. Sulit, CESO III, shared their ongoing and future programs for the welfare of women and children nationwide. He emphasized, “Protecting children is not only a moral imperative. It is an economic and political necessity for shaping a future of justice, peace, and shared prosperity.”

^{DSWD Undersecretary, Atty. Adonis P. Sulit, CESO III, delivers a message of support, outlining the agency’s current and upcoming programs for EVAW and EVAC.}

PCW Chairperson Ermelita V. Valdeavilla capped the messages with a strong emphasis on ASEAN’s forward-looking agenda: “as we approach 2026, ASEAN is reviewing the progress made over the past decade and planning continued cooperation and follow-up actions to strengthen the protection of women from all forms of violence. The steps we take moving forward will align with ASEAN’s trajectory toward realizing the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 while also shaping the development vision for 2030.”

^{PCW Chair Ermelita V. Valdeavilla delivers her message, urging all stakeholders to take action to strengthen protection of women and children against violence.}

During the workshop proper, Philippine Children’s Rights Representative to the ACWC Professor Elizabeth A. Pangalangan highlighted the need to engage diverse groups of women and ensure that the next 10-Year RPAs respond to the concerns of women and children.

^{Professor Elizabeth A. Pangalanan opened the workshop proper.}

Building on this, Philippine Women’s Rights Representative to the ACWC Professor Amaryllis T. Torres pointed out that the plans must also address emerging forms of violence and the climate crisis, noting that stronger inter-agency data sharing is essential for effective multi-stakeholder collaboration.

^{Professor Amaryllis T. Torres discussed the significance of the inter-agency collaboration in crafting of the EVAW/EVAC Regional Action Plans.}

Throughout the series of workshops, participants were divided into groups to ensure diverse and participative knowledge sharing on the following focus areas:

Strengthening Evidence-Based Preventions;
Addressing Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (GBV);
Creating Safe and Protective Environments, Educational Work, and Public Spaces;
Strengthening Coordinated Multi-Sectoral Services;
Addressing Violence Against Women across the Humanitarian Development Peace Nexus;
Strengthening Laws, Policies, and Institutional Mechanisms;
Strengthening Data, Research, and Evidence Generation for EVAW and EVAC;
Addressing intersections for online VAW/VAC technology-facilitated violence; and
Strengthening response mechanisms and access to justice.

^{Images from the workshop proper for the crafting of Regional Actions Plans for EVAW and EVAC.}

The following courses of action were identified and suggested for inclusion in the succeeding RPAs:

Advance community-based interventions engaging leaders, parents, and youth to transform harmful norms and strengthen empower women;
Spearhead livelihood capacity development activities and engage men as champions in promoting gender-equitable norms;
Institutionalize clear pathways for child protection and GBV cases by strengthening hotlines and immediate support services;
Strengthen child online protection through grassroots awareness, digital literacy integration in education, inclusive and evidence-based policymaking with clear agency roles, and robust monitoring mechanisms;
Deepen collaboration with Department of Education (DepEd), City/Municipal Social Welfare and Development Offices (C/MSWDOs), and technology companies by integrating online safety in curricula and establishing inter-agency committees up to the regional level to address Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children (OSAEC); and
Ensure that all interventions are inclusive of and responsive to the needs of persons with disabilities (PWDs), recognizing their rights and addressing challenges they encounter.

^{PCW Executive Director Nharleen-Millar concludes the event with a call-to-action, emphasizing that this is just the beginning}
^{of strengthened inter-agency collaboration to eliminate violence against women and children.}

In her closing message, PCW Executive Director Nharleen Santos-Millar emphasized that the 2016-2025 RPAs have served as a vital blueprint for eliminating and preventing violence against women and children, which is a shared reality among ASEAN member states. She underscored the importance of addressing gaps to ensure that national-level initiatives will be cascaded effectively and will contribute to regional goals. She concluded by stressing, “This is not the end. This is just the start of our continuous partnership to represent the voices of the women and children in ASEAN.”