THE Zonta Club of Cebu II and the Mandaue City Government have joined hands against gender-based violence through a symposium held recently.
The symposium aimed to help the public understand more about the evolution of gender to expound on how to shy away from any wrongful gender stereotyping, which is a frequent cause of discrimination against women.
"The rising gender issues in the world today does not only involve two gender identities, it has developed into a growing stream. But all we need is love, respect and above all education, so we will know how to deal with the problem,” said lawyer Regal Oliva, a member of Zonta Club II and LGBT champion of Mandaue City.
Titled “He Versus She: Redefining the Meaning of Gender”, the symposium featured four speakers who discussed topics related to violence against women.
Fiscal Lolita L. Lomanta talked about Recognizing and Responding to Sexual Harassment in the Workplace; human rights lawyer and activist Evalyn G. Ursua shed light on the topic “Does the Perpetrator Have Rights? Building the Case Against the Accused”; social activist and radio personality Tisha “Inday Tikay” Ylaya discussed “LGBT Rights=Women’s Right=Human Right"; and Major Michael Sarte talked about “Working with Men and Boys to End Violence Against Women".
The symposium is one of the activities of “Abay sa Kahayag’s 18-Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign, a collaborative project of Zonta II and the Mandaue City government to advance the welfare of women and children in the city against violence and abuse.
"We need to cultivate a higher level of tolerance and acceptance in the gender and development for Mandaue City. We hope that by starting it in this LGU we can reach to a wider community onwards equality and the end of violence,” said Dr. Elsa Basubas, chairperson of the Abay sa Kahayag Movement.
"We are happy that Zonta Club of Cebu II's partnership with Mandaue City has blossomed into an insightful activity such as this. We just hope that we can change the outlook of government agencies and we can address better the transacting public by opening their eyes to gender-based violence in the workplace and in the community,” said Marilou Cañizares, president of Zonta Club of Cebu II.
Meanwhile, the winners of the #MusingsOnWomen Photo Contest were awarded at the end of the symposium.
The top 3 winners were:
Sastre by Sidney Diguani, 1st place
Rice Field by Nerisa Tavera, 2nd place
Ivatan in Batanes by Erwin Lim, 3rd place.
The Club’s Choice Award was given to "First Teacher by Salvador Toong III" while the People’s Choice was "Ang Tingsi ni Nanay, among kalipay" by Jhessa Ugdamina.
The winners received cash prizes and trophies. (PR)