Aklan prepares for Women's Month celebration
by Venus G. Villanueva
Kalibo, Aklan (17 February) -- This province is bracing for this year's celebration of Women's Month in March and is initiating a meeting of its Aklan Gender and Development Commission (AGADC) to plan out activities for the observation.
This year's celebration, according to Governor Carlito S. Marquez, AGADC Chair, is anchored on the theme "Babae, Yaman Ka Ng Bayan", which highlights the critical role of women in nation-building and recognizes that women are an important resource who can contribute to the reduction of poverty.
"Considering the present global financial crisis, it is timely to tap half of the country's resource - the women, and create a gender-responsive environment to encourage and support them to venture into high-value and more meaningful economic activities and enterprise development," Marquez said in his letter to GAD Focal Persons of various offices and organizations here serving as AGADC members.
Presidential Proclamation No. 224 declares the first week of March of every year as Women's Week, and March 8, 1988 and every year thereafter as women's Rights and International Peace Day.
For years now, Aklan is regularly observing Women's Month by conducting motorcade, Holy Mass and a program attended by Aklan leaders, key women officials in the province and local government units, and women's group's/organizations ably supported by the National Council for the Welfare of Women. (PIA) [top]
