TWO major events in line with the celebration of Women’s Month, organized by the Davao City Government, were cancelled due to the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
The scrapped events, organized by the Davao City Integrated Gender and Development Division (IGDD), were the annual Women’s Summit and Women’s Parade.
Davao City Councilor Richlyn Justol of the committee on women, children and family relations said that based on their initial talks with IGDD head Lorna Mandin, she said no activities were suggested to replace the cancelled events as of Saturday, March 7.
“Naga-decide pa sila actually kung aduna pa bay ipuli nga activities after ani (They are still deciding, whether or not, to substitute the cancelled activities),” Justol said.
The councilor also said the event cancellation was also patterned to the cancellation of all major Araw ng Dabaw events, as declared by Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.
While DOH did not issue any prohibition from conducting public gatherings, the health office reminded organizers to strictly conduct precautionary measures against Covid-19.
Meanwhile, in a press release, Mandin said despite the cancelled events, the Women’s Month “will not go unrecognized”.
She said it will continue to hold orientations about preventing rape and sexual harassment in all villages.
Orientations will be conducted as part of the vision of IGDD to empower women and educate them with their rights and different abuses against them, Mandin said.
Every year, she said, more and more women report cases in their office, which only proves that women are becoming more aware and conscious of their rights. She, however, did not give any current figure.
However, in 2019, the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) recorded a 61-percent drop in violence against women in 2018. Based on DCPO’s data, from 2,861 cases in 2017, it dropped to 1,123 in 2018.
According to her, the most common cases reported are economic abuse; psychological or emotional abuse such as having an affair with another woman and abandonment; physical abuse; and, sexual abuse.
She underscored that these are not only applicable to married couples but also for live-in partners, or anyone in an intimate relationship.
Mandin said the Women’s Month celebration was conceptualized from history or as Mandin puts it, “herstory”, wherein 15,000 women in America in 1905-1910, protested in the streets against their poor working conditions including sexual harassment, discrimination, among others.
Since 1911, the world celebrates March 8 as an International Women’s Day. It was officially commemorated by the United Nations in 1975 and was officially recognized by the UN two years later.
Mandin added that the country and the city are compliant with the issuances that promote the movement of protecting women’s rights.
“In the Philippines we have issuances and laws recognizing women’s rights. In Davao, we also have the Women Development Code that gives recognition and respect to the rights of women. Through the legislation, it shows that the City is committed to promoting the rights of women,” she said.
IGDD is the division created through City Ordinance No. 5004, otherwise known as the Davao City Women Development Code of 1997, later amended as City Ordinance No. 1032-02 series of 2003. (RGL with reports from CIO)