Women residents of the municipality of Sibalom have been encouraged to have their own source of income to get empowered.

Ma. Dominga Zaragoza, in charge of the Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC) center of the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office in Sibalom, said women who are economically dependent on their partners are prone to abuse.

On Monday, Sibalom Livestock and Poultry-Raisers Association president Elma Peña spoke before participants of the Katipunan ng Liping Pilipina – Nasyonal (KALIPI) congress to talk about their livelihood program for women.

“Psychological abuse of women is high in Sibalom because of their economic situation. That is why we are providing them with access to livelihood,” Zaragoza said in an interview on Tuesday.

She added that seven of the 12 cases of women abuse they recorded this year were considered psychological or emotional abuse, with them being economically dependent on their partners.

Some of the abused women are even college graduates but did not have jobs or means of income, she said.

“SILPRA could help them because they could sell their raised chicken or hogs even just in their backyards for them to have income,” Zaragoza said.

SILPRA serves as a consolidator of chicken and hogs, which they trade as far as outside of Antique.

Zaragoza said that SILPRA is just one of the farmers’ organizations in Sibalom that could help women engage in a livelihood program.

During the congress, participants were informed that the town’s rural health unit would work closely with the VAWC center, which is open 24/7 to assist abused women.

Police Executive Master Sgt. Marylyn Elio of the Sibalom Police Station also encouraged women to report the abuses committed against them for police assistance.

The congress was held as part of the Women’s Month celebration in Sibalom. (PNA)