The Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) has launched an 18-day campaign to end violence against women (VAW), to be held from Nov. 25, the International Day to Eliminate VAW, to Dec. 12.
“The 18-Day Campaign to End VAW supports the Philippine government’s goal of protecting the human rights of women and girls by upholding its commitment to address all forms of gender-based violence as enshrined in the 1987 Constitution,” the Commission said in its website.
“By virtue of Republic Act 10398 or the Act declaring November 25 of every year as the National Consciousness Day for the Elimination of VAWC [violence against women and children], government agencies are mandated to raise awareness on the problem of violence and the elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls,” PCW said.
The Philippine government in 2002, through the PCW, initially joined the campaign to push for laws and the establishment of institutional mechanisms to address VAW.
In 2006, then-president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed Proclamation No. 1172, extending the national campaign to 18 days including Dec. 12, a historic date that marked the signing in the year 2000 of the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, to supplement the UN Convention Against Transnational Organized Crimes, PCW explained.
The campaign was further enhanced in 2008 when the United Nations Secretary General launched the UNiTE to End VAW Campaign, which envisions a world free from all forms of violence against women and girls.
“Violence against women and girls is not just a major public health problem but also a grave violation of human rights. It extremely manifests gender inequity, targeting women and girls because of their subordinate status in the society,” PCW said.
According to the World Health Organization, one in three women worldwide have experienced physical and/or sexual violence from an intimate partner or non-partner in their lifetime.
Meanwhile, in the Philippines, the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that one in four Filipino women aged 15-49 has experienced physical, emotional, or sexual violence from their husband or partner.
“Because VAW appears as one of the country’s pervasive social problems, various measures and mechanisms have been employed and implemented to address it. One of which is the 18-Day Campaign to End VAW, an advocacy campaign that is observed annually from November 25 to December 12 as mandated by Proclamation 1172 s. 2006,” PCW said. /PG-jlo
