Forum on violence vs women at Ateneo set

ORGANIZATIONS protecting the rights of women and children will hold a forum at the Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU) today, Monday.

The Legal Resource for Women and Children (Luna), Ateneo Public Interest and Legal Advocacy Center (Apila), and Integrated Gender and Development Division- City Mayor's Office (IGDD) recognize the time to raise consciousness of professionals on the issue of violence against women.

The forum dubbed "Scared, Scarred, Scorned," which hopes professionals to "rethink their gender biases and prejudices to demystify unfounded beliefs and attitude on violence on women," will be conducted in AdDU Board Room, 7th Floor Finster Building from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday.

"Thirty years after the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Violence on Women, millions of women especially the marginalized suffer violence in all spheres of life, hardly moved on and anticipating justice would come soon," read the invitation letter sent by Luna executive director Emmanuel Roldan, Apila-AdDU director lawyer Romeo T. Cabarde Jr. and IGDD-CMO officer-in-charge Lorna Mandin.

"Saddening is the fact that we in the helping professions are in the dark in responding to violence on women and children," the letter added.

The forum will also tackle about the One Billion Rising, which will be held on February 14.

One Billion Rising is an international campaign, in a form of dance protest, to end violence against women and children. (ANC)