MANILA: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has called for the stronger enforcement of laws protecting women as the country marks the start of the National 18-Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women (VAW) on Tuesday (Nov 25).
In his message for the annual commemoration aimed at addressing and eliminating gender-based violence, Marcos stressed that protecting women’s rights and promoting their welfare “must be a perpetual mission and advocacy.”
“To every citizen, leader, and public servant, let us strive to protect and listen to every woman, ensuring she feels and knows she is always safe, heard, and supported,” the President said.
“I urge all our fellow citizens to set respect as the norm, make consent an everyday practice, challenge words and habits that harm, and lead with fairness, so that all may live in a harmonious and dignified society. Let us be the generation that ends the long shadow of violence and welcomes a Bagong Pilipinas where every woman walks without fear, speaks without apology, and dreams without limit,” he continued.
Marcos also highlighted the role of the Philippine Commission on Women in empowering women.
“By engaging institutions and the public in campaigns such as this, you become the steadfast and dependable authority in enforcing laws and policies that champion equality and justice in our society. Your constancy encourages systems to be more humane and accountable, assuring every Filipina that her country resolutely stands with her,” he said.
Based on data from the World Health Organization, about one in three women — roughly 35 per cent — worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual violence from an intimate partner or non-partner in their lifetime.
In the Philippines, one in four women aged 15 to 49 have experienced physical, emotional, or sexual violence from their husbands or partners, according to the 2017 National Demographic and Health Survey released by the Philippine Statistics Authority. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
