Sunday, March 09, 2008 Local groups mark Women's Day with celebrations, not protest
AT LEAST 1,000 women from different barangays in Cebu City marched with employees and officials of the City Government and the City’s Women and Family Affairs Commission yesterday to celebrate International Women’s Day.
As early as 7 a.m., they walked from Fuente Osmeña to Fort San Pedro, carrying towels, balloons and streamers.
At the fort, they held a program and launched the Women’s Trust Fund simultaneously with other activities such as a medical mission by the City Health Department, an optical checkup by Lions Medical Eye Bank, beauty and wellness services by Zonta Club and Bantay Banay Volunteers, and legal and counseling by Lihok Pilipina Foundation Inc.
“We are here not to compete with the men. We’re here to show that we exist and that we are calling on men to respect us because we can also contribute a lot to society,” said Councilor Lea Ouano-Japson.
The theme for yesterday’s activity was “Cedaw ng Bayan: Yaman ng Kababaihan.”
Cedaw or the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, is often described as an international bill of rights for women.
The United Nations General Assembly adopted it in 1979.
Agenda
It describes what makes up discrimination against women and sets up an agenda for states, including Philippines, to stop this discrimination, in order for all women to fully exercise their human rights.
“We have the right to work, to decide how many children we will have, to income and equal pay, to good health, and many others. But there are still rights and entitlements we have not yet totally achieved. Let us fight, stand up, claim our rights, and strive to make them concrete,” urged Tessie Fernandez, executive chairperson of the women’s commission.
Conditions
During the program, participants dropped coins in an empty water container, as their contribution to the Women’s Trust Fund.
Japson explained that this was the first time the fund was launched in a program, although contributions for this fund have been going on for several years.
The fund will be taken care of by the Women and Family Affairs Commission, which, according to Fernandez, will gather its members to discuss where it will be deposited and what will be the conditions for its use.
“For now, it’s a start-up. We will use this for women in distress, abused and with nowhere to go, as well as in case of emergencies. No matter how much money you drop here, the mere dropping symbolizes that you are part of this fund,” she said.
Fernandez also encouraged all women to save money for themselves and all barangays to launch a similar women’s fund or cooperative for female constituents. (NRC)
