ILOILO CITY — Various sectors in Western Visayas joined the “One Billion Rising Initiative,” a global campaign calling for an end to violence against women (VAW) held at the new Iloilo City grandstand on Thursday.
Dr. Mary Barby Badayos-Jover, coordinator of Ugsad Regional Gender Resource Center, said the biggest gain of the campaign, which is now on its seventh year, is people’s heightened awareness against violence against women and children.
Dr. Jover also added that through the years, there have been changes in the policy, not just in the Philippines, but also in other countries when it comes to the violence against women campaign.
“We spread into using gender-based violence, of course violence against women is still the focus but we recognized this change through the years that it is not only the women that suffer (from) what we call gender-based violence. You can be a victim of harassment because of your gender orientation,” she explained adding that they now use gender-based violence instead of violence against women only.
This year’s theme focuses on solidarity and Ugsad is trying to consolidate the ranks (gender orientation) in this kind of campaign.
“This event is one the rare moments where we are able to see different institutions and government agencies together agreeing and fighting for one advocacy,” she added.
Official statistics about violence against women still show that physical abuse is still the top kind of violence and there are a few reports about psychological and verbal abuses, she said. “People can clearly see the manifestation of physical abuse,” she added.
Jover underscored that women should not be afraid if they experience abuses because it is a “pervasive societal problem”.
“It would be great if they (woman or victims of violence) should not keep it to themselves. It is a societal issue and many like her go through the same experience. And there many who survive this situation,” she said.
She said that for a start, there has to be recognition that there is violence. And they should also know that there are people and institutions they can reach out to.
The One Billion Rising Dance was also held in towns of Miag-ao and Oton in Iloilo and in the provinces of Antique, Guimaras, and Aklan.
The event was also highlighted with the presentation and ceremonial signing of Ugsad Unity Statement on the lowering of the minimum age of criminal responsibility in the Philippines.
The event was spearheaded by the Ugsad Regional Gender Resource Center and the Regional Inter-Agency Committees on Women and Children.
Ugsad is a loose network of government agencies, academic institutions, non-government institutions and people’s organizations.
