THE 17th City Council passed Tuesday a resolution supporting the One Billion Rising Revolution (OIBR Revolution) set on February 14 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Rizal Park.
The OBR Revolution is a global campaign against violence against women. Councilor Leah Librado-Yap, in her privilege speech, cited reports that one in three women is abused in her lifetime.
"Every February, we rise- in hundreds of countries across the world - to show our local communities and the world what that one billion looks like and shine a light on the rampant impunity and injustice that survivors most often face," she said.
With the success of last year's campaign defending women's economic, social and political rights, Librado is once again inviting the public to join this year's campaign.
"For us to be free, we have to rise against all forms of violence and exploitation directed towards the women sector, including their children," she said.
Participants for the OBR Revolution will stage a dance to give attention to women, students, and the injustice against disaster victims.
"In this campaign for justice, we made visible, volatile and impacting connections between violence against women and economic, environmental, racial, gender injustice. We formed new and hopefully lasting coalitions between existing groups and individuals not only within the women's movement but also between people's movements covering diverse sectors," she said.
She added, "In most areas in Southern Mindanao Region specifically in country sides where there is heavy deployment of military troops, many women and children, especially lumads and peasants, bear the brunt of militarization and abuse including extrajudicial killings, threats, harassment and intimidation."
"We rise through dance to express joy and community and celebrate the fact that we have not been defeated by this violence. We rise to show we are determined to create a new kind of consciousness - one where violence will be resisted until it is unthinkable," Librado said.