MANILA --- Japan inked last February 24 a
USD1.35-million project for the reintegration of former women combatants in the
Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
The
project, which will be implemented by the United Nations Population Fund
(UNFPA), will assist former female members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front
- Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (MILF-BIAF) by “transforming them into the
community-level service providers as para-social workers to provide
psycho-social support to the survivors of gender-based violence.”
“The
concept of this project was indeed born out of a common notion shared by Japan
and UNFPA that empowering women and girls, ending gender-based violence, and
ensuring universal access to sexual and reproductive health are keys to
building peace, eradicating poverty, and enhancing resilience,” UNFPA Country
Representative Iori Kato said.
Kato
said the funding will also assist the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) in
reducing maternal mortality and enhancing family planning in line with the
BARMM’s development plan.
The BTA
is the governing body established to supervise the transition from the
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao to the new Bangsamoro government in 2022.
“By the
end of this initiative, we hope to see a pool of empowered former female
soldiers, able to rejoin society as equipped individuals with much potential,”
Japanese Ambassador Koji Haneda said.
Meanwhile,
he assured that Japan will continue to provide support in building healthier
communities towards peace and development in Mindanao.
“We
hold firm to our clear vision of a peaceful and prosperous Bangsamoro Region
where no one is left behind,” the envoy said. (JOYCE ANN L. ROCAMORA,
PNA, MINDANAO EXPOSE')
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