March is celebrated annually as National Women’s Month by virtue of Proclamation 224 s. 1988 “Declaring the First Week of March of Every Year as Women’s Week and March 8 as Women’s Rights and International Peace Day.”
International Women’s Day (IWD) is also on the 8th of March of every year with the new recurring theme, from 2023 thru 2028 is “WE For Gender Equality And Inclusive Society.”
IWD campaign 2023 is #EmbraceEquity.
For a compassionate society like the Philippines, it is not hard to embrace equity. Statistics tell us that in the latest Global Gender Gap report, the country ranks 17th as Filipinos are generally open to gender equity. On the contrary, we have a long way to go when it comes to fully embracing all genders.
The Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Expression (SOGIE) Equality Bill that seeks to end gender-based discrimination initially filed by the late Miriam Defensor Santiago and former Akbayan Partylist Representative Etta Rosales and current version supported by Representative Geraldine Roman and Akbayan Partylist Tom Villarin with Risa Hontiveros in the Senate, has yet to become a law even if it was first filed more than two decades ago in Congress in the year 2000.
Filipino women are known to be empowered, especially as compared to their counterparts in neighboring Asian countries. But then, there is still a lot to do before we can claim equality in all sectors and all aspects of Philippine society.
As we continue to celebrate Women’s Month and highlight the contributions made by women, such program inspires those who are silently observing, awaiting for their own time and chance to shine as those they look up to. The home is not even a place for the meek women anymore. There have been channels to express their thoughts and feelings like the social media.
Campaign works. The more we discuss the rights of women, the more they get to understand their place in society. Continue talking to the women and learn about their plight in whatever field they are. The more we know about our womenfolk, the more we can help not only them but the nation as a whole.
March, women, and embrace all genders. We can take part in nation building. No doubt about that … at all!