Not only is this time of the year the season for Thanksgiving. This is also time for the global 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.
The international campaign starts on 25 November, which is marked as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs until 10 December, Human Rights Day.
UN said the campaign was started by activists at the inauguration of the Women’s Global Leadership Institute in 1991 and is used “as an organizing strategy by individuals and organizations around the world to call for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls.”
The United Nations Secretary-General, in support of the civil society initiative, launched in 2008 the campaign UNITE by 2030 to End Violence against Women. UNITE runs parallel to the 16 Days of Activism.
Every year, the UNITE Campaign focuses on a specific theme and this year’s is “UNITE! Invest to prevent violence against women and girls”.
The campaign, UN said, “calls on citizens to show how much they care about ending violence against women and girls by sharing the actions they are taking to create a world free from violence towards women… and also calls on governments worldwide to share how they are investing in gender-based violence prevention.”
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In the Philippines, the campaign lasts for two weeks and four days and is called “18-Day Campaign To End Violence against Women.”
Actually, Negros Occidental observed the 18-day campaign about a decade ahead of the rest of the country – in 1992 – through the efforts of the Bacolod City-based DAWN, or the Development for Active Women Networking, and the Bacolod Consortium of Women, said Marie June Pavillar-Castro, currently the action officer of the Provincial Gender and Development Focal point System and also the adviser of the Provincial Council for Women as well as the chairperson of PILIPINA Bacolod/Negros Occidental Chapter.
The women’s organization consortium was convened by then City Councilor Joy Valdez.
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Activities for the campaign in the province started the day before the Nov. 25 global event.
The PCW organized the opening salvo activities of 18-day observance which included a forum, awards rites for the Liso, Kabuhi Ko community and home gardening program and the maiden observance of the Negros Occidental Safe Space Day, a Bawal Bastos campaign, which also advocates against VAW, child trafficking and pornography.
Also held were the Orange Your Icon, the tying and display of orange cloth and items was a symbol of the pro-women campaign, on Capitol fences and surrounding areas.
The 18-day activity, Castro said, includes the Nov. 28 kickoff in Talisay and Silay cities to be highlighted by talks and symbolic rites.
In Bago City, a Sunset Walk to Bantayan Park will also be held, along with hanging of streamers and sprucing up all 24 barangays with orange flaglets, ribbons and symbols.
Other major activities during the campaign are the discussion on safe spaces in Himamaylan City, the Nov. 29-Dec. 3 senior scouting and cadet provincial camp and the Girl Scouts’ Stop the Violence Module.
A forum on safe spaces will also be held in Bacolod City on Dec. 6, while women’s kiosks will be featured in the observance in La Carlota City.
Also included in the line-up of activities during the period are the 3rd Provincial Rural Women’s Summit and awarding, presentation of incentives for Special Awardees of the Abanse Negrense Good Environmental Governance Award and Abanse Babaye Para sa Dunang Manggad as well as the sign language training for GAD advocates conducted by the Negros Occidental Language and information Technology Center.
In San Carlos City, activities orientation programs on safe space and gender-related issues for various sectors, film showing, posting of orange icons, livelihood training, orientation on gender issues for newly-elected Barangay officials, zumba sessions and self-defense training for barangay women.
The culmination program at Nature’s Village on Dec. 12 will honor the Best Barangay VAW Desk and Outstanding Desk Officers as well as LGU champions in the observance of the 18-day campaign.
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This week, we also remember the Maguindanao Massacre – on Nov. 23 fourteen years ago.
Fifty-eight persons were killed on that day, majority of them journalists and media workers, making it the world’s single deadliest event for journalists and the country as among the most dangerous countries for news organization personnel.
We pray that justice will be finally handed to families that have been grieving through the years until today because of their great loss 14 years ago.
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I am looking forward to another opportunity to do what I have loved doing both as a professional journalist and media educator – and that is serving as a resource person in the culminating session of the regional campus journalism training series this year of the regional office of the Philippine Information Agency.
The training series, which I helped organize in 1975 when I was working with the then Department of Public Information, is the longest-running of its kind conducted by PIA regional offices as it is nearing its golden anniversary.
The group that I will address on Dec. 1 along with my colleague, Nanette Guadalquiver, will be the Masters’ Class exclusive to campus paper advisers and editors in chief.
I realize that media workers must upgrade skills to cope with technological advancements, that’s why my wish is to be proficiently update myself with functional skills from a purist, traditional journalism orientation to today’s demand, which is Data Journalism.
And so this week I am thankful to the Lord for all the challenges, blessings and opportunities and above all, the wondrous blessing called LIFE.
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When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord; he brought me into a spacious place. (Psalm 118:5) | NWI
