It is a law the seeks to address the prevalence of violence against women and their children (VAWC) by their intimate partners like their husband or ex-husband, live-in partner or former live-in partner,  boyfriend/girlfriend or ex-boyfriend/ex-girlfriend, dating partner or former dating partner.

It refers to any act or a series of acts committed by an intimate partner (husband, ex-husband, live-in partner, boyfriend/girlfriend, fiance, who the woman had sexual/dating relationship):

• against a woman who is his wife, former wife;

• against a woman with whom the person has or had a sexual or dating relationship, 

• against a women with whom he has a common child;

• against her child whether legitimate or illegitimate within or without the family abode, 

Of which results in or is likely to result in physical, sexual, psychological harm or suffering or economic abuse including threats of such acts, battery, assault, coercion, harassment or arbitrary deprivation of liberty.

• Physical Violence – acts that include bodily or physical harm (battery)

  • causing/threatening/attempting to cause physical harm to the woman or her child;

  • placing the woman or her child in fear of imminent physical harm

• Sexual Violence – the acts which are sexual in nature committed against a woman or her child. It includes, but is not limited to:

  • Rape, sexual harassment, acts of lasciviousness, treating a woman or her child as a sex object, making demeaning and sexually suggestive remarks, physically attacking the sexual parts of the victim’s body, forcing him or her to watch obscene publications and indecent shows or forcing the woman or her child to do indecent acts and/or make films thereof, forcing the wife and mistress/lover to live in the conjugal home or sleep together in the same room with the abuser.

  • Causing or attempting to make the woman or her child to perform sexual acts (that do not constitute Rape) by use of force, threats, intimidation directed against the woman, her child, or her immediate family.

  • Prostituting the woman or her child.

• Psychological Violence – Acts or omissions causing or likely to cause mental or emotional suffering of the victim which includes, but is not limited to the following:

  • Controlling or restricting the woman’s or her child’s movement or conduct

    • Threatening to or actually depriving the woman or her child of custody or access to her/his family;

    • Depriving or threatening to deprive the woman or her child of a legal right;

  • Causing mental or emotional anguish, public ridicule or humiliation to the woman or her child, e.g. repeated verbal and emotional abuse, and denial of financial support or custody or minor children or denial of access to the woman’s child/children

  • Threatening or actually inflicting physical harm on oneself for the purpose of controlling the woman’s actions or decisions;

  • It includes causing or allowing the victim to witness the physical, sexual or psychological abuse of a member of the family to which the victim belongs, or to witness pornography in any form or to witness abusive injury to pets or to unlawful or unwanted deprivation of the right to custody and/or visitation of common children.

  • Causing substantial emotional or psychological distress to the woman or her child:

    • Stalking or following the woman or her child in public or private places; 

    • Peering in the window or lingering outside the residence or the woman or her child; 

    • Entering or remaining in the dwelling or on the property of the woman or her child against her/his will; 

    • Destroying the property and personal belongings or inflicting harm to animals or pets of the woman or her child; 

    • Engaging in any form of harassment or violence

• Economic Abuse – Acts that make or attempt to make a woman financially dependent upon her abuser, which includes, but is not limited to the following:

  • Preventing the woman from engaging in any legitimate profession, occupation, business or activity except in cases wherein the other spouse/partner objects on valid, serious and moral grounds as defined in Article 73 of the Family Code;

  • Controlling the woman’s own money or property; or solely controlling the conjugal or common money/properties;

  • Destroying household property;