LESS  is  More  for  Women  Migrant  Workers    by  Andrea  Luisa  Anolin,  2011    

Filipinos  leaving  for  overseas  work  do  so  because  they  find  a  lot  of  things  lacking  in  the  Philippines.    Foremost  of  which  is  the  opportunity  to  work  (gainful  or  otherwise),  to  receive  income  way  above  whatever  it  is  they  earn  as  laborers  in  the  Philippines,  and  the  perceived  opportuni?es  for  growth  and  personal  development.    And  in  their  actual  country  of  des?na?on,  many  Filipinos  either  find,  are   promised,   or   perceive   that   there   is   an   abundance   of   whatever   it   is   they   find   lacking   in   the  Philippines.    In  most  cases  however,  overseas  Filipinos  workers   (OFWs)  get  more   than  what   they  bargain   for.    Along  with  the  perceived  and  actual  benefits  of  migra?on,  OFWs  also  invariably  deal  with  the  social  and  personal  costs  of  their  migra?on  experiences.    From  wan?ng  more  out  of  life,  many  returned  with  less  than  what  they  were  aiming  for.      Moreso   for   Filipino   women  migrant   workers   who   end   up  mostly   working   as   domes?c   workers,  entertainers,   factory  workers,   and  caregivers.   These  are   jobs   that   leave  women  migrant  workers  vulnerable  to  abuse  and  exploita?on.    Ba?s   Center   for   Women   has   been   addressing   the   issues   and   concerns   of   returned   distressed  women  migrant  workers  since  the  late  1980s.    The  women,  spurred  by  their  dreams  of  beNer  lives  for  themselves  and  their  families,  ended  up  in  situa?ons  of  abuse  and  exploita?on.    From  a  sea  of  despair   in   their   countries   of   des?na?on,   Ba?s   Center   for  Women   offered   a   stream   of   hope   to  returned  distressed  women  migrant  workers.    From   the   provision   of   direct   assistance   and   welfare   services,   Ba?s   developed   its   programs   and  services  un?l  the  ins?tu?on  had  the  capability  to  address  the  medium-­‐term  needs  of  the  women  through   awareness-­‐raising,   organizing,   alterna?ve   livelihood   projects   /   social   enterprise  development,   and   other   social   and   economic   reintegra?on   ac?vi?es.     Through   more   than   two  decades   of   ins?tu?onal   herstory,   Ba?s  was   able   to   assist   individual   clients   and   groups   of   clients  (through   Ba?s   AWARE   and   other   group   forma?ons)   in   seUng   up   enterprises.     From   the   earlier  alterna?ve  livelihood  project  such  as  the  sewing  shop,  Ba?s  has  played  a  role  in  the  establishment  of  Ba?s  AWARE's  vigil  candle  shop.    Ba?s  AWARE  has  since  then  established  other  enterprises  such  as   the   burger   shop   and   a   small   canteen.     Ba?s   also   assisted   individual   clients   set   up   small  enterprises  in  Luzon,  Visayas  and  Mindanao  and  the  most  recent  enterprise  set  up  by  Ba?s  with  a  group  of  the  ins?tu?on's  women  clients  is  the  laundromat  in  Quezon  City.      

The  women  during  the    opening  of  the  laundry  shop  located  in  Panay  Avenue,  Quezon  City.    

Women  clients  employed  as  staff  of  the  laundry  shop.  

In   our   desire   to   bring   the   services   (recep?on   to   reintegra?on)   for   returned   distressed   women  migrant   workers   closer   to   the   ground   and   to   create   a   direct   impact   in   communi?es   where   the  women   come   from,   Ba?s   Center   for   Women   in   2007   ini?ated   community   organizing   work   in  iden?fied   areas   in   Bulacan   and   Nueva   Ecija   a]er   it   was   established   that   a   clustering   of   the  ins?tu?on's   clients  were   to  be   found   in   these  provinces.     In  2010,  Ba?s   included   Ilocos  Sur   in   the  scope  of   its  geographic  work.    Ba?s'  vision  was   to  create  a   local   social  and  economic  support  and  reintegra?on  network  to  create  the  environment  at  the  local  level  for  the  individual  ini?a?ves  of  the  Ba?s  clients  to  fluorish  and  become  sustained  by  connec?ng  it  with  available  services  and  on-­‐going  ini?a?ves   in   the   area   with   the   support   of   the   local   government,   the   business   sector,   the   private  sector,  migrant  associa?ons,  and  other  stakeholders.        

In  a  nutshell,  Ba?s  calls  this  strategy  LESS  (Linking  Economic  ini?a?ves  for  Support,  Scaling-­‐up  and  Sustainability)  is  More  for  Women  Migrant  Workers.      The  link  that  Ba?s  would  like  to  develop  is  four-­‐fold.    Ba?s  is  working  to  link  the  economic  ini?a?ves  of  its  clientele  /  beneficiaries  with  the  following:  1) the  economic  ini?a?ves  of  successful  migrants  in  the  same  geographic  area;  2) the  pioneers  /  experts  of  a  similar  or  related  enterprise;  3) the  ini?a?ve  of  ac?ve  migrants  who  are  looking  for  viable  alterna?ve  investment  opportuni?es  back  home;  and,  4) the  available  and  exis?ng  services  of  the  local  governments,  offices  of  na?onal  government  agencies,  and  the  private  sector  towards  local  economic  development.  

By   linking   the   economic   ini?a?ves   of   returned   distressed  women  migrant   workers   to   create   the   enabling   environment  for  support,  scaling-­‐up  (growth)  and  sustainability,  star?ng  out  with  LESS  can  translate  to  more  opportuni?es  for  the  returned  distressed   women   migrant   workers,   their   families   and   local  economies   to   benefit   from   these   linked   economic   ini?a?ves.    In  the  long  run,  these  linked  ini?a?ves  is  envisioned  to  become  a  local  social  and  economic  support  and  reintegra?on  network  for   prospec?ve,   confirmed,   ac?ve,   and   returned   migrant  workers   and   their   families   in   order   to  minize   the   social   costs  and   op?mize   the   gains   of   migra?on   for   local   economic  development,  and  wealth  &  job  genera?on.  !  

Migra?on,  development  and  human  rights  forum  in  Nueva  Ecija.  

 

Why  would  anyone  risk  marrying  a  stranger?  It  may  sound  fussy  but  it  happens.  Marriage  could   be   arranged   as   a   joint   undertaking   of   two   people   for   prac?cal   or   financial   benefits  rather  than  out  of  love  or  personal  aNachment.  This  is  called  marriage  of  convenience  and  is  the  current  and  common  way  taken  by  several  Filipino  women  going  to  Japan.  With  Filipino  –  Japanese  marriage,  the  Filipino  spouse  then  becomes  eligible  for  a  “Spouse  of  a  Japanese  Na?onal”  visa  which  would  enable  her  to  enter  and  work  in  Japan.      In  March  2005,  Japan  started  to  employ  restric?on  measures  to  Filipino  entertainers  going  to   Japan   as   part   of   its   efforts   to   combat   human   trafficking.   Japan   no   longer   accepted   the  Philippine  government  issued  cer?ficate  to  prove  that  the  holder  is  a  bona  fide  performing  ar?st.   Rather,   Japan   requires   that   an   entertainer   must   have   at   least   two   years   work  experience   in   an   entertainment   industry   outside   Japan.   This   strict   policy   has   caused   a  sudden   drop   of   the   deployment   of   Filipino   entertainers   to   Japan.   Consequently,   Filipino-­‐Japanese  marriages  intensified  and  many  of  which  occurred  for  convenience  purposes  only  –  for   the   sake   of   a   spouse   visa.   This   is   a   reality   which   Ba?s   Center   for  Women   eventually  verified  through  its  own  cases.    From  2007  to  2010,  Ba?s  provided  services  to  42  cases  of  women  migrants  returning  from  Japan  who  were  vic?ms  of  trafficking.  Twenty-­‐seven  of  them  entered  Japan  through  spouse  visas,  11  had  entertainer  visas  while  four  had  tourist  visas.  All  of  them  have  similar  reasons  behind  their  determina@on  to  go  to  Japan.      

More  o]en  than  not,  recruiters  and  traffickers  took  advantage  of  the  women’s  vulnerability,  offering  them  help  to  enter  and  find  work  in  Japan.  This  help  however  involves  decep?on  and  fraud  which  are  present  in  cases  of  trafficking.    The  women  were  recruited  to  work  as  entertainers  in  Japan,  promised  with  good  pay  and  benefits  but  were  told  that  they  would  need  to  marry  a  Japanese  man  in  order  to  get  a  visa.  In  some  instances,  when  the  women  observe  ambigui?es  in  the  process,  the  tendency  is  for  them  to  withdraw  from  going  to  Japan.  Nevertheless,  some  would  s?ll  pursue  the  flight  despite  the  uncertain?es  as  they  and  their  families  would  be  coerced  or  threatened  by  the  brokers  should  they  back  out.      The   lack   of   economic   opportuni?es   in   the   Philippines   on   one   hand   and   the   push   factors   (i.e.   financial   needs   for   medica?on   of   a   sick   family  member,  educa?on  for  siblings,  payment  of  debts,  housing,  etc.)  coming  from  the  family  on  the  other  hand  are  among  the  reasons  behind  the  aspira?ons  of  the  women  to  work  overseas.  For  someone  who  is  desperate  to  work  in  Japan  and  earn  money  for  the  family,  they  would  be  willing  to  do  anything  even  marrying  a  total  stranger.  Recruiters  would  convince  the  women  that  the  marriage  is  “fake”  and  will  just  be  done  to  facilitate  their  entry  to  Japan.        The  women   then   become  more   vulnerable   on-­‐site   and  would   find   themselves  manipulated   and   coerced   by   traffickers,   verbally   and   physically  abused,  trapped  in  an  exploita?ve  work,  with  restricted  mobility,  and  in  a  debt  bondage.  Low  salary,  unjust  deduc?ons  and  penalty  system  in  the  club  on  top  of  the  payment  for  the  Japanese  “husbands”  would  make  the  situa?on  even  worse.        Lucky  are   those  who  were  able   to  escape  or  be   rescued  during   raids   in   the  club  and  were  provided  with  necessary  assistance  and  repatria?on  services.  For  some  women,  they  get  a  divorce  before  they  return  to  the  Philippines.  For  those  who  do  not  know  any  beNer,  they  stay  married  ?ll  they  return  to  the  Philippines.  However,  divorced  or  not,  the  consequences  are  all  similar  when  they  return  home.        There  is  no  divorce  in  the  Philippines,  only  annulment.  So  for  the  women  who  got  divorced  in  Japan,  they  s?ll  would  need  to  obtain  an  annulment  in  the  Philippines  in  order  for  the  divorce  to  be  recognized  in  the  country.  This  process  is  called  “Pe??on  for  recogni?on  of  foreign  judgment”.        Marriage  annulment  in  the  Philippines  is  a  difficult  and  tedious  process  that  would  require  a  large  amount  of  money  for  legal  services.  Annulment  of  marriage  on   the  average  would   cost  around  PhP250,000  –  an  amount  which   the  women  hardly  have.  To  date,  none  of   the  27  women  who  entered  into  marriage  of  convenience  pursued  an  annulment  of  marriage.      One  step  towards  the  recovery  of  the  women  from  their  nega?ve  migra?on  experiences  is  the  legal  dissolu?on  of  their  marriage.  But  since  they  could  not  afford  the  legal  process  of  annulment,  the  women  un?l  now  bear  the  effect  of  engaging  to  marriage  of  convenience.  They  might  have  recovered   from  trauma  but   they  were  not  able   to  regain   their  civil   status.  Those  who  want   to  get  married  with   their   real  boyfriends  could  not  marry  because  the  previous  marriages  with  their  Japanese  husbands  are  yet  to  be  annulled.  In  this  case,  the  social  cost  of  marriage  of  convenience  could  be  for  life?me.  !        

Marriage of Convenience: Causes and Consequences By Rose Otero

Illustra?on  downloaded  from  hNp://  www.geNymages.com  

Trip  Pinas:  The  Japan  College  of  Social  Work  Philippine  Study  Tour  Experience  By  Julius  Diyeng  D.  Canja      Ba?s  Center  for  Women  is  commiNed  to  raising  the  awareness  of  the  general  public  on  the  plight  of  women  migrant  workers  in  order  to  generate  a  strong  public  opinion  against  the  exploita?on  and  con?nued  deployment  of  women  migrant  workers.  To  answer  this  challenge,  one  of  Ba?s  Center  for  Women’s  efforts  is  by  hos?ng  study  tours  for  students  and  professionals  from  Japan  and  other  countries  for  them  to  get  to  know  about  the  work  that  we  do  and  the  issues  confron?ng  women  migrant  workers  and  their  families.   From  February  3-­‐  9  2011,  Ba?s  Center  for  Women  hosted  a  study  tour  for  students  and  faculty  of  Japan  College  of  Social  Work.  The  week-­‐long  study  tour’s  primary  objec?ve  is  for  the  par?cipants  to   develop   an   understanding   of   how   human   and   social   welfare   differs   according   to   society,  culture,  geography,  poli?cal  and  economic  systems  and  circumstances.  Through  the  study  tour,  it  was   also   hoped   that   the   students   who   are   all   Social   Planning   majors   be   introduced   to   mul?-­‐cultural  social  work  by  having  a  direct  experience  in  interac?ng  with  Filipinos  and  women  migrant  workers  and   Japanese-­‐Filipino  children   in  par?cular   in  order   for   them  to  know  more  about   the  ways  of   life   of   the   fourth   largest  minority   group   in   Japan.   It   also   aimed   for   the  par?cipants   to  develop   an   understanding   of   the   nature   of   poverty   and   disaster  management,   and   the   role   of  gender  empowerment  and  social  ac?on  in  bringing  about  social  change.  

The  study  tour  which  was  dubbed  as  Trip  Pinas  was  par?cipated  in  by  seven  students  and  they  were  joined  by  two  of  their  professors,  Prof.  Helen  Fujimoto  and  Prof.  Masaki  Soeta.  The  study  tour  program  included  the  following  ac?vi?es:  workshops  and  discussions  on  Philippine  history   and   culture,   social   reali?es   and  migra?on   situa?on;   homestay  with  Ba?s  AWARE  and  Ba?s-­‐YOGHI  members;   exposure   to   a   rural  community  in  Nueva  Ecija;  interac?on  with  former  migrants  from  Japan,  Syria  and  Lebanon;  visit  to  San  Jose  Orphanage  and  interac?on  with  the  children;  sightseeing  and  historical  tour  in  Corregidor  Island  and  Camp  Panga?an;  community  service  with  Buklod  Tao  in  San  Mateo  and;  interac?on  with  UP  Social  Work  and  Community  Development  students.      

In  the  first  day,  the  students  aNended  the  lecture  about  the  Philippine  history  and   culture,   social   reali?es   and   migra?on   situa?on   which   was   discussed   by  Ba?s  Center.  The  discussions  imparted  to  them  significant  events  in  the  history  which  helped  shaped  the  country  to  where  it  is  now,  its  peculiari?es  and  some  similari?es   from   Japanese   culture   and   the   different   places,   tradi?ons   and  celebra?ons  which   are  worth   seeing   and  experiencing.   The   lecture   about   the  current   status  of   the  Philippines   showed   the  crisis,   that   the   country   is   facing.  Poverty,   scarcity   in   jobs   and   resources   and   the   reali?es   in   life   of   Filipinos  par?cularly   from   the   marginalized   sector   were   discussed   to   enable   them  understand  and  be   cri?cal  of  what   is  happening   in   countries  other   than   their  own.   Aside   from   the   lectures,   ac?vi?es   to   enhance   team   work   and   crea?ve  thinking  were  conducted.  

The  JCSW  students  aCer  successfully  comple@ng  the  teambuilding  ac@vity.  

The  students  were  also  able  to  experience  an  overnight  home  stay  with  a  Filipino  family.  They  were  assigned  to  either  a  member  of  Ba?s  AWARE   or   Ba?s-­‐YOGHI’s   family   or   to   a   Ba?s   Center   staff.   Students   were   asked   about   their   experiences   during   their   home   stay   and  everyone  said  that   they  got   to  experience  or  see  things  which  they  have  never  done  or  seen  before.  Some  were  able  to  go  to  the  wet  market,  interact  with  other  family  members,  got  a  glimpse  of  how  Filipino  families  are  like,  felt  the  warmth  of  other  rela?ves  of  the  host  families  and  the  hospitality  even  of  other  neighbors,  went  around  the  local  community,  ate  na?ve  cuisines,  played  with  the  kids  and  a  lot  more.  The  students  said  that  it  was  a  posi?ve  experience  for  them  and  some  even  said  that  it  was  the  highlight  of  their  study  tour.  They  were  hoping  that  the  home  stay  had  been  longer.        To  get  a  glimpse  of  life  in  the  rural  community,  the  group  was  brought  to  Cabanatuan,  Nueva  Ecija.  They  were  able  to  meet  local  leaders,  visit  a  public  school,  tour  a  barangay  and  most  importantly  interact  with  Ba?s  Center  clients  who  were  former  migrants  from  Lebanon  and  Syria.  Going  around  the  community  they  saw  the  big  houses  which  were  owned  by  families  of  Overseas  Filipino  Workers  (OFWs).  However,  they  also  learned  that  not  all  OFWs  have  successful  migra?on  experiences  just  like  the  Ba?s  Center  client  who  had  a  nega?ve  experience  in  Syria.          

Con?nua?on….  Trip  Pinas    The  visit  to  the  Bahay  ni  San  Jose  Orphanage  was  also  a  moving  experience  for  the  group.  Here  they  were  able  to  interact  with  children  who  were  abandoned  by  their  parents  and  children  with  special  needs.  The  kids  prepared  a  heartwarming  presenta?on  to  welcome  the  group.  In  turn,  the  students  played  with  the  kids  and  taught  them  how  to  make  origami.  They  also  brought  snacks  which  they  shared  with  everyone.  The  group  le]  with  smiles  on  their  faces  knowing  that  even  for  a  short  period  of  ?me  they  made  the  children  happy.    Community  service  was  also  an   important  part  of  Trip  Pinas.   It  was   fulfilling   to  be  able   to  contribute   to   the  development  of  a  community.  The  group   visited   Buklod   Tao,   a   people’s   organiza?on   that   aims   to   strengthen   the   capaci?es   of   the   community   in   disaster   preparedness   and  environmental  conserva?on.  Ka  Noli,  the  president  briefly  discussed  in  the  morning  the  nature  of  work  of  the  organiza?on.  A]erwards,  the  groups  was  then  introduced  to  gabion  box  making,  a  wire-­‐mesh  box  that  has  to  be  filled  with  rocks  and  are  to  be  placed  along  the  riverbanks  to  avoid  the  erosion  of  the  soil  and  flooding  in  the  community.  The  group  formed  a  human  chain  to  pass  along  the  rocks  that  will  be  stacked  inside  the  gabion  boxes.  This  was  also  a  good  opportunity  for  the  JCSW  students  to  interact  with  the  Community  Development  students  from  the  University  of  the  Philippines  and  the  members  of  Buklod  Tao.  The  group  was  also  able  to  help  plant  pechay  in  the  organic  urban  garden  of  Buklod  Tao.  Despite  the  burden  of  carrying  heavy  rocks,  everybody  was  just  grateful  that  they  were  able  to  help  the  community  and  enjoyed  doing  the  tasks  as  well.    Of  course  it  is  not  just  work  all  the  ?me,  the  group  was  also  able  to  do  sightseeing  in  historical  spots  such  as  Corregidor  Island  in  Bataan  and  Camp  Panga?an  in  Nueva  Ecija.  These  two  sites  were  very  significant  to  World  War  II  par?cularly  during  the  Japanese  occupa?on  in  the  Philippines.  The  visit  to  these  sites  was  not  to  point  out  the  atroci?es  of  the  Japanese  during  the  war  but  to  show  them  the  consequences  of  war  and  how  it  affects  the  lives  of  people  especially  the  innocent  ones.  It  is  also  a  call  for  everyone  to  strive  for  peace  at  all  ?mes.        The  trip  ended  with  a  Sayonara  Party  aNended  by  the  JCSW  study  tour  par?cipants,  Ba?s  Family  and  students  from  UP.  The  JCSW  students  had  a  song  presenta?on  and  showcased  their  clay  sculptures  which  represent  how  they   feel  about   the  whole  program  and  what   they  will   remember  most  about  it.  

 Experience  plays  a  major   role   in   learning.   In   this   case,   the   study   tour  experience  allowed   the   students   to   see  what   is  happening  outside  of  Japan,  know  more  about  the  social  issues  and  at  the  same  ?me  interact  with  people  from  other  culture.  Hopefully  through  this  experience,  they  have  come  back  to  Japan  with  raised  awareness,  has  grown  more  compassionate  towards  people  from  other  cultural  background  and  learned  lessons  that  will  aid  them  to  become  beNer  persons  and  contribute  to  a  beNer  world.    

Natsumi  of  JCSW,  teaching  the  kids  how  to  make  a  crane  origami.   JCSW  and  UP  students  with  Buklod  Tao  members  aCer  the  community  service.  

Together  with  the    Ba@s  Family  before  leaving  for  the  airport.  

Spreading  our  Wings  by  Beryl  Cruspero  One  of  the  core  services  of  Ba?s  Center  for  Women  in  its  more  than  twenty  years  of  existence  is  organizing  of  its  women  clients.  In  the  Women  Empowerment   Program,   the  women   are   helped   to   regain   their   self-­‐confidence  having   been   in   distressed   situa?ons  through  advocacy  campaigns  and  awareness  raising  ac?vi?es  such  as  workshops,  trainings  and  discussions  on  women’s  issues  and  rights.    In  the  year  2007,  Ba?s  Center  took  a  major  leap  when  it  decided  to  go  into  community  organizing  in  order  to  reach  a  wider  range  of  women   migrants   and   their   families.   From   being   a   center-­‐based   ins?tu?on   and   catering   only   to   walk-­‐in   or   referred   clients,   it  broadened   its   scope  of  work   to   extend   its   services   and  programs   to   the   grassroots   level.   In   an   internal   study   conducted,   it  was  established  that  majority  of   the  women  who  sought  Ba?s  Center’s  services  were  from  the  provinces  of  Bulacan,  Nueva  Ecija  and  Ilocos  Sur.  These  three  provinces  were  also  iden?fied  as  top  sending  provinces  for  undocumented  migrants  based  on  the  data  given  by  POEA.    Most  of  the  women  migrant  workers  applied  for  domes?c  work  but  ended  up  in  exploita?ve  situa?ons  in  their  country  of  des?na?ons.    In  September  of  the  same  year,  Ba?s  Center  pioneered  its  organizing  work  in  Bgy.  Dalig,  Balagtas,  Bulacan  by  forming  an  informal  support  group  of  migrant  women.  Ba?s  Center   then   replicated   its  work   in  Bulacan   to  Nueva  Ecija  and   in   Ilocos  Sur   in  2010.  The  clients   that   we   happen   to   organize   in   the   above  men?oned   areas   were   trafficked   vic?ms   and   severely   exploited   women   from  Malaysia,  China,  Middle  East,  Lebanon,  Syria,  etc.  Services  such  as  airport  assistance,  temporary  shelter,  medical  assistance,   legal  assistance,  educa?onal  assistance,  and  reintegra?on  assistance  were  provided  to  them  by  Ba?s  Center  for  Women.    Through  the  community  organizing  work,  several  good  prac?ces  have  emerged.  This  includes:    awareness-­‐raising  through  the  conduct  of  social  inves?ga?on  conduct  of  fora  on  the  an?-­‐trafficking  law  and  migra?on  human  rights  and  development  family  mee?ngs  and  orienta?on  on  the  legal  process  of  migra?on    educa?onal  discussions  related  to  migra?on    organizing  and  mobilizing  of  a  core  group  of  women  migrant  workers  and  trafficking  survivors  mobilizing  of  community  resources  for  local  development      Most  recently,  Ba?s  Center  engaged  the  returned  women  migrant  workers  into  Social  Entrepreneurship  (SE).  The  women’s  career  interests  and  their  level  of  entrepreneurial  skills  were  first  measured  through  an  assessment.  The  women  then  undergo  the  training,  “”How  to  Start  your  Business  Right”  and  a  mentoring  session  to  help  them  develop  their  business  plans.  The  enterprises  being  put  up  serve  as  reintegra?on  assistance  to  the  women.  Aside  from  providing  them  the  opportunity  to  gain  economic  opportuni?es,  the  SEs  also  hopes  to  serve  as  therapy  to  help  in  rebuilding  the  lives  of  the  clients.        Ba?s  Center  also  encourages  the  local  government  units  to  help  the  women  in  accessing  their  exis?ng  programs  and  services  such  as   monitoring   services,   livelihood   assistance,   referral   to   agencies   that   provide   services   for   migrant   workers,   legal   assistance,  con?nuous  psychosocial  assistance  and  educa?onal  and  training  assistance.            Organizing  work  will  lead  to  the  existence  of  extensions  or  satellite  offices  of  Ba?s  Center  for  Women  in  the  different  communi?es  we  work  in.  In  the  coming  years,  we  see  Ba?s  Center  spreading  its  wings  in  the  field  of  community  development  and  empowerment.  We   s?ll   have   a   long  way   to   go   through.   All   this  would   only   be   possible  with   the   efforts   of   the  women   in   the   community,   their  families,  the  local  leaders  and  other  stakeholders.  With  efforts  like  these,  we  see  in  the  coming  years  the  fulfilment  of  Ba?s  Center’s  Empowerment  Framework  of  Self-­‐Help,  Help  Other,  Help  Society.