International Journal of

ADVANCED AND APPLIED SCIENCES

EISSN: 2313-3724, Print ISSN: 2313-626X

Frequency: 12

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 Volume 13, Issue 4 (April 2026), Pages: 7-15

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 Original Research Paper

Knowledge and experiences of violence against women and children in rural Philippines: A mixed-methods study

 Author(s): 

Ignie Jr. Baco *, Michelle Baco

 Affiliation(s):

Public Administration Department, Northern Iloilo State University, Iloilo, Philippines

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 * Corresponding Author. 

   Corresponding author's ORCID profile:  https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7593-4305

 Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  https://doi.org/10.21833/ijaas.2026.04.002

 Abstract

This study investigates the legal awareness and empowerment of women in rural areas of the Philippines, with particular focus on the Anti-Violence Against Women and Children Act (RA 9262). The legal rights of rural women and the misuse or lack of understanding of these rights remain important concerns. Although protective legal measures exist, many rural women have limited access to legal education, resources, and practical information. This situation reduces their ability to make informed decisions and to protect their social, economic, and legal rights, making them more vulnerable to abuse, violence, and gender discrimination. A mixed-methods approach was used in this study. Data were collected from 269 women in the 5th district of Iloilo. The quantitative phase involved a survey to assess the level of legal awareness, while the qualitative phase included focus group discussions to explore the practical impact of the law. The results show that although most respondents are aware of the existence of legal protections, they have limited understanding of specific forms of abuse covered by the law, particularly sexual and economic violence. The findings also indicate that education and income levels significantly influence legal awareness. The study concludes that legal education programs in rural communities are essential to improve women's awareness of their rights. In addition, efforts to eliminate violence against women and children should be supported by socioeconomic strategies, including promoting women's participation in livelihood programs and educational initiatives on gender-based violence.

 © 2026 The Authors. Published by IASE.

 This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

 Keywords

Legal awareness, Women’s empowerment, Rural Philippines, Gender-based violence, Socioeconomic factors

 Article history

Received 27 October 2025, Received in revised form 3 March 2026, Accepted 25 March 2026

 Acknowledgment

The researchers would like to acknowledge Northern Iloilo State University for funding the conduct of this research. 

 Compliance with ethical standards

 Ethical considerations:

All participants provided informed consent prior to participation. Participation was voluntary, and respondents were informed of their right to withdraw at any stage without any consequences. Given the sensitive nature of the study, appropriate measures were taken to ensure participants’ safety, privacy, and emotional well-being. All data were anonymized and treated with strict confidentiality in accordance with ethical research standards and the Declaration of Helsinki. 

 Conflict of interest: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

 Citation:

Baco I Jr and Baco M (2026). Knowledge and experiences of violence against women and children in rural Philippines: A mixed-methods study. International Journal of Advanced and Applied Sciences, 13(4): 7-15

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