Published May 2025in SDG 5
Launched in March 2022, WRAAP is a five-year project of the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) funded by the Global Affairs Canada.1 It aims to enhance the lives of women and girls by supporting local Women’s Rights Organizations (WROs) and Women’s Rights Networks (WRNs) in the Philippines. The project provides support for WROs and coalitions to strengthen their work and continue their advocacy in eliminating barriers that limit the full realization of women’s and girls’ rights in the country. It focuses on the areas of organizational development, administration and finance, project management programming and sustainability.
WRAAP also establishes a fund facility to provide multi-year and short-term financing of programs of WROs, especially those representing the poorest and marginalized sector groups, and promote alliance-building to advocate for gender-responsive policy reform and implementation at the national and local levels.
The Government of Canada, through WRAAP, partnered with the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women - Asia Pacific (CATW-AP) in the implementation of the project, “Ensuring Functionality of Gender-based Violence (GBV)” in Vigan and Narvacan, Ilocos Sur. Outcomes of this partnership include: (a) the passage at second reading of the ordinance “Institutionalizing the Annual Search for the Most Functional Barangay Violence Against Women and Children Desk in the City of Vigan, Providing Funds Thereof”; (b) establishment of two gender-based violence (GBV) watch groups; (c) training of 84 frontliners from the city, municipal and barangay local governments of Vigan and Narvacan on basic gender and development orientation, climate crisis, GBV laws and survivor-centered approach to cases; (d) capacity building of 200 women community leaders on GBV laws, psychological first aid and survivor-centered approach to cases; and (e) distribution of 2,500 awareness posters, leading to at least 18 percent increase in reported cases as of April 2024. These efforts align with the achievement of SDG 5 on gender equality.
During its five-year implementation, WRAAP will provide stable predictable funding for 72 WROs and coalitions in the country to implement and expand their respective advocacies and programs, improving their organizational capacity across various areas, from management to sustainability.4
