Women campaign to end violence through ‘dancing’

THOUSANDS of women from different organizations in Northern Mindanao region are expected to dance today, Thursday, in response to the global campaign to end violence against women and children.

Rhodora Bulosan of Gabriela-Northern Mindanao said the event, dubbed as “One Billion Rising,” will carry a wide range of women’s issues, from physical abuse to economic and violations of political and economic rights.

The dance sensation to the tune of “Bangon” will be held at 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Magsaysay Park in Cagayan de Oro.

"Dancing is a revolution. It is a popular expression of freedom. Lovers, family, children and people from all walks of life may join us. We call on women and pro-women men to express ourselves. Now is the time for us to unite, rise up and dance, to put an end to this structural violence," Bulosan said.

The event will be simultaneously held in Iligan, Marawi, Bukidnon and Gingoog City and across the globe, which also coincides with the 15th anniversary of The Vagina Monologues in the Philippines.

Bulosan said serious violations against women and children continue even with the existence of Republic Act 9262 or the Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children Act.

Bulosan said that based on statistics, approximately one woman is beaten by her partner every 43 minutes while one child is battered every hour.

“A woman or child is harassed every four hours, and it was even committed by some men in uniform,” Bulosan added.

Statistics showed that reported cases of women and children victims of rape and incest have reached an alarming level in the country with approximately one woman beaten by her partner or husband every 43 minutes, one child is battered every hour and 20 minutes while a woman or child is harassed every four hours.

“There are 500,000 victims of prostitution in the Philippines where 100,000 of them are children. At least 11 women die everyday due to complications in childbirth. A million women could not find work. Over a thousand women are forced to leave their children and families behind to work in foreign countries. Three women were murdered in 2010 because of their political beliefs,” statistics showed. (Abigail Chee Kee Malalis)