DAVAO CITY (November 25) — As droughts scorch farms and floods push families into cramped evacuation centers, women and girls in Mindanao are not just losing income or school days — they are becoming more vulnerable to violence.
Local shelters, women’s desks, and protection officers across Northern Mindanao, Caraga and BARMM say climate-linked displacement is quietly driving up risks of VAW, from sexual harassment in evacuation sites to intimate partner violence triggered by economic stress.
Stress, hunger, displacement — and rising VAW risks
Police and social workers report that cases of intimate partner violence often spike after severe flooding or prolonged drought when incomes drop and tensions at home escalate.
In some evacuation camps in Lanao del Sur and Agusan del Sur, women said they avoid bathing areas or latrines at night due to poor lighting and lack of privacy — conditions linked globally to higher risks of harassment and assault.
“Disasters expose where women are least protected,” a women’s rights worker in Cotabato City said. “When families are crammed into one tent, and everyone is stressed, women become the shock absorbers.”
Girls missing school — and becoming more vulnerable
Girls who stop going to school during heatwaves or floods also face increased risks of early marriage or sexual exploitation, especially in rural and indigenous communities where economic pressure pushes families to harmful coping mechanisms.
Teachers in Maguindanao del Norte noted cases of girls who “did not return” after extended climate-related class suspensions — a troubling pattern linked to rising GBV risks.
Water scarcity puts women at risk
In remote sitios in Bukidnon, Basilan, and Zamboanga Sibugay, women walk farther to fetch water during droughts — often on isolated footpaths.
Protection workers say long treks to water points significantly increase risks of harassment, especially for teenage girls who collect water alone.
Key Stats: Climate Change & VAW (PH & Mindanao Patterns)
- 1 in 3 women globally experience violence, and humanitarian settings — including climate disasters — raise this risk significantly.
- Women spend up to 4 hours daily fetching water during droughts in rural Mindanao, increasing exposure to safety risks.
- After major disasters, some localities recorded 10–25% increases in VAWC reports due to financial strain, cramped living spaces, and lack of privacy.
- Girls are 2x more likely to drop out temporarily during climate emergencies — a known predictor of early marriage and exploitation.
- 80% of displaced households rely on women for caregiving and food management, placing them in more high-risk spaces (queues, latrines, water points).
‘Kami ang una maapektuhan — even our safety’
For women like Alona, a mother of three from Sultan Kudarat, climate stress isn’t abstract.
“Kung walay trabaho ang bana tungod sa baha or drought, dali kaayo magka-init ang ulo sa balay,” she said. “Sometimes, it becomes unsafe for us.”
Women’s shelters in Davao Region also report that more survivors seek help after disasters, but many cases remain unreported due to stigma and lack of transport.
IP women face compounded risks
Indigenous women from Tawi-Tawi and Bukidnon say climate-driven food scarcity fuels tensions at home. In some communities, hunger has led to reported cases of forced or early marriages — a form of violence that expands during prolonged droughts or crop failures.
Local women are responding — but with limited support
Despite the risks, women are at the frontlines of community safety:
- Women’s groups in Zamboanga Peninsula are mapping unsafe zones in evacuation centers.
- Maranao mothers in Lanao del Sur train volunteers to monitor GBV cases during typhoons.
- BARMM women’s councils are pushing for gender-sensitive climate shelters with proper lighting and separate bathing areas.
