The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) spearheaded a book donation drive and gave the educational materials it gathered to persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) at the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City and at the Manila City jail.
CHR Commissioner Faydah Maniri Dumarpa, the Focal Commissioner for Gender, led the turnover of the books to the PDLs last December with the help of the commission’s employees.
Dumarpa said the aim of the donation drive was to provide an avenue for knowledge, self-reflection, and personal development among PDLs.
"Access to educational resources such as books is consistent with human rights principles as rehabilitation is an essential component of the justice system toward positive transformation," she said.
"Through this, we can foster an environment that supports intellectual and personal development despite the challenges they may face within the confines of prison cells," she added.
Also, Commissioner Dumarpa also focused on the reproductive rights of women as she attended a continuing capacity building on reproductive justice with the Bantay Karapatan ng Kababaihang may Kapansanan (BKKK) of Northern Mindanao in Cagayan De Oro City.
The CHR said the members of BKKK were able to share their challenges and solutions for cases of gender-based violence (GBV) among women with disabilities. They also reviewed and recalled key concepts of gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics (SOGIESC), and women's rights, it said.
The dialogue also helped members understand recent laws protecting women and girls from GBV, among others, it also said.
"All these initiatives are part of the Commission's ongoing effort to empower women with disabilities and improve their access to reproductive justice in order to strengthen women's capacity to invoke and advocate for human rights in the areas of reproductive health, freedom from violence, and access to justice," it added.