Thursday, March 08, 2007 2007 Women's Month celebration focuses on economic rights By Fe L. dela Cruz
"CEDAW Ng Bayan: Kabuhayan ng Kababaihan." This is the theme for this year's Women's Month celebration in the country, which is being observed for the whole month of March every year.
The month-long observance is anchored on promoting Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (Cedaw) and widening its reach among policy makers, planners and other stakeholders with emphasis on promoting women's economic rights and women's economic empowerment, which include among others, their right to work, access to skills training and livelihood opportunities, and putting an end to discrimination on the job.
Moreover, March 8 is declared as Women's Day not just in the country but globally. It is a day connecting all women around the world and inspiring them to achieve their full potentials.
In Region 9, the different LGUs have lined up various activities to celebrate women's month.
In Zamboanga City, the local government through the Gender and Development Focal Point (GAD) and the Local Council of Women (LCW) has slated a Women's Day March dubbed as "Marcha de Esperanza Para Las Mujeres" (March of Hope for Women) to be participated in by women from all sectors, including government and private agencies, schools, business and professional sectors, and other civic clubs and organizations.
Each participating groups will be giving in pledges/donations that would benefit the women inmates of the city Reformatory Center and the women psychiatric patients at the Zamboanga Regional Medical Center.
There will also be a Demo on Food Processing for all women employees of the DSWD Regional Office to be conducted by a technical person from Tesda.
The National Women's Month Celebration is being spearheaded by the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women (NCRFW), in collaboration with national government agencies, local government units, NGOs, private sector and other stakeholders.
Globally, all these significant activities are anchored on the United Nation's central organizing principle relative to its action for the advancement of women - 'that no enduring solution to society's most threatening social, economic and political problems can be found without the full participation, and the full empowerment of the world's women'.
Meanwhile, Mayor Beng Climaco, chair of the city's Gender and Development (GAD) Focal Point, spearheads Thursday Women's March, the kick-off activity for the women's month celebration.
"We should uphold women's rights but the essence of GAD is women and men working together towards development and progress," the vice mayor said.
Thousands of women including men representing the different sectors are expected to turn up for the march that will start at the R.T. Lim Boulevard towards the Plaza Pershing early morning today. A program will follow with Mayor Celso Lobregat as guest speaker.
Participants to the march are enjoined to wear pink or lilac shirts, ribbons or shoes in support of the advocacy to advance the rights and well being of women.
Vice Mayor Climaco said the Women's Month celebration this March will revolve on the main objective of promoting women's economic rights and women's economic empowerment. The celebration will also involve the advocacy to eliminate all forms of discrimination and violence against women and children.
The city's GAD, which Climaco co-chairs with Councilor Mila Velasquez, has been conducting programs and projects aimed to promote women's rights and welfare, the most recent of which was the stress-debriefing seminar for women cops.
She said the GAD hopes to institutionalize all activities as a legacy to the city of Zamboanga specifically to its target clients.
Climaco also acknowledged the sacrifices of all GAD Focal point members specifically the Human Resource Management team for facilitating the conduct of seminars and other activities.
"We also appreciate the efforts of all women's groups, non-government organizations, civil society and religious groups," the vice mayor stressed.
The center of the National Women's Day celebration Thursday will be at the Ninoy Aquino stadium in Manila with simultaneous celebrations in key cities such as Zamboanga, La Union, Baguio, Nueva Ecija, Ilo-ilo, Cebu, Tacloban, Cagayan de Oro, Davao and Cotabato.
