The 2024 International Women’s Day Celebration, led by the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), UN Women Philippines, and SM Supermalls, introduced a transformative world where women are seen, valued, and included because there is a “Lipunang Patas sa Bagong Pilipinas” at long last.
The March 8 event titled, “Investing in Equality toward Gender-inclusive Prosperity” may now be over, but its impact can last even longer than the National Women’s Month itself because the celebration has become a call to action for Women and Everyone (WE) as outlined by the national entity for gender equality and women empowerment in a press release.
- WE must invest in women wisely. One way of doing so, according to PCW Officer-in-Charge, Atty. Khay Ann C. Magundayao-Borlado, is through effective utilization and implementation of the Gender and Development (GAD) budget.
This topic was further discussed by Ms. Anita E. Baleda, Chief of the Policy Development, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Division of the PCW, Assistant Commissioner Fortunata M. Rubico from the Legal Services Sector of the Commission on Audit (COA), and Director Miramel Garcia-Laxa from the Program Management Bureau of Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in a panel dialogue on gender-responsive budgeting.
- WE must start local. Prioritizing grassroots work is proven to bring about sustainable and lasting change as agreed by members of the panel discussion on championing women empowerment. These panelists include Australian Ambassador to the Philippines, Her Excellency HK Yu; Ambassador of Canada to the Philippines, His Excellency David Hartman; International Labour Organization (ILO) Country Director, Mr. Khalid Hassan; and Director of Gender Equality from the Climate Change and Sustainable Development Department of the Asian Development Bank, Ms. Samantha Hung.
One of the resource speakers, Director Anna Liza F. Bonagua from the Bureau of Local Government Development of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), tackled this in her talk on strategies for stronger GAD budgeting in the local government.
- WE must know the numbers. Statistics and data are important because they serve as the key to addressing prevailing challenges. This was fully explained by United Nations Resident Coordinator in the Philippines, Mr. Gustavo González in his special message.
- WE must act now. This was the challenge of UN Women Philippines Country Programme Coordinator, Ma. Rosalyn Mesina to GAD focal point system members of the Philippine government. Stressing that the present shapes the future, she emphasized the importance of reflecting on how our available resources can be leveraged to make a difference in achieving gender equality and women empowerment.
- WE must continue working together. Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda, who delivered the keynote speech, encouraged Women and Everyone to continue collaborating to create a gender-equal and prosperous Philippines.
In a video message played at the end of the 2024 IWD Celebration, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. urged collective action towards innovative solutions for women empowerment as well as a meaningful result for gender equality.
This urgent call of government leaders to continue working together extends not only to women but also for men, individual with diverse SOGIESC (sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and sex characteristics), and various institutions including the international community, national government agencies (NGAs), local government units (LGUs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), civil society organizations (CSOs), people’s organizations (POs), media entities, financial institutions, business community, and the entire private sector.
In response, panelists from the diplomatic corps, United Nations agencies, Philippine government, banking institutions, business sector, and various groups shared their diverse perspectives and participated in the following powerful panel dialogues to know and to help improve the current status of Filipino women:
- Championing Women Empowerment: A Global Perspective (moderated by UN Women Champion, Ms. Rissa Mananquil-Trillo)
- Empowering Communities through Gender-Responsive Budgeting (moderated by Ms. Jeanne Frances I. Illo, Gender Specialist from the UPPAF Regulatory Reform Support Program for National Development)
- Bridging the Gap: Technology and Women Empowerment in Business (moderated by another UN Women Champion, Ms. Bianca Gonzalez-Intal)
- A Double-Edged Sword – Navigating the Benefits and Challenges of Technology (moderated again by Ms. Bianca Gonzalez-Intal)
These dialogues are anchored in the IWD theme, “Invest in Women, Accelerate Progress.”
