Women’s participation in governance now a reality – CHR 13 Director

By Jennifer P. Gaitano

Friday 1st of March 2013

BUTUAN CITY, March 1 (PIA) -- In line with this year's Women's Month celebration, the Gender and Development Coordinating Committee (GADCC) chaired by Commission on Human Rights (CHR)-Caraga Regional Director Marylin Pintor is spearheading various activities for the month-long celebration.

The 2013 Women's Month Celebration is pursuant to: 1) Proclamation No. 224 s. 1988 declaring the first week of March each year as Women's Week and March 8 as Women's Rights and International Peace Day; 2) Proclamation No. 227 s. 1988 providing for the observance of the Month of March as Women's Role in History Month; and 3) Republic Act 6949 s. 1990 declaring March 8 of every year as National Women's Day.

As the celebration kicked-off on Friday, members of the GADCC from the government agencies, non-government organizations, academe, and other stakeholders were grouped in four sub-committees wearing shirts colored green, purple, red, and pink during the Fun Walk activity. The subcommittees are: VAWC, Institutionalization of GAD and Gender and Governance, Gender and Health Environment, and Gender and Poverty.

Pintor expressed her warm thanks to all government agencies and partner-stakeholders for their full support and participation to Women's Month activities. She also said that President Aquino recently highlighted the milestones of women's participation in the Bangsamoro Agreement. "We are now assured that more women are already involved in the political arena and peace-making. Women’s participation in good governance is now a reality," she said.

Pintor also announced that the "Kalandrakas sa Kababaihan" is set on March 8 at the Balanghai Hotel, Butuan City, and the Candidates Forum on March 14. Other GAD-related activities will also be conducted by different government agencies for the month-long celebration.

This year's celebration is anchored on the theme, "Kababaihan: Gabay sa Pagtahak sa Tuwid na Daan (Women: Guide Towards Straight and Narrow Path)." It underscores the need to accelerate women's participation in governance and enhance gender perspective in upholding good governance. (JPG-PIA Caraga)