The Bacolod City government kicked-off its celebration of the 2023 National Women’s Month, yesterday, March 13 led by Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, along with Committee on Women, Gender, Family, and Child Care councilors Celia Flor, Em Ang, and Israel Salanga.
Mayor Albee who welcomed everyone underscored in his speech that half of the city’s legislative branch is composed of women, which is already a good sign that Bacolod is on its way to eliminating gender discrimination and strengthening gender equality and inclusive society.
In her speech, Flor emphasized that this celebration marks a juncture in the advancement of women’s rights as it launches a new recurring theme from this year to 2028: WE for gender equality and inclusive society.
The theme “WE” stands for Women and Everyone, emphasizing the role of women themselves and everyone in the pursuit of gender equality. The theme also stands for Women’s Empowerment, which can only be achieved when agencies, mechanisms, institutions, private partners, and duty-bearers from the national to the local level provide women equal rights and opportunities. With women and everyone in synergy, gender equality can become a possibility.
The celebration was supported by various organizations such as the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) Bacolod Extension Office, PCW Provincial Council for Women, GAD FPS Action Officer from the Province of Negros Occidental, and LGBTQ Bacolod Sectoral and Alliance of Women for Better Bacolod.
The event also featured the Ziti Handumanan and Pahanocoy ZUMBHWA Dancers, as well as various government offices, including the Department of Social Services and Development, Urban Basic Services and Development, and the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.
