PCAF gender advocates among more than 10,000 participants of formation of woman’s symbol

Chanting the phrases “Sulong Kababaihan! Sulong Juana!”, members of the Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries (PCAF) Gender and Development Focal System (GAD-FS) joined more than 10,000 other gender advocates in making a stand for women’s rights and celebrating International Women’s Day through a human formation of the woman’s symbol.

The event was spearheaded by the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), in collaboration with the Coca-Cola Philippines, at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila last March 8.

A total of 10,168 participants from government agencies, non-government organizations, state colleges and universities and other civil society groups attended the gathering to celebrate women’s resilience, strength, and women’s various roles in nation-building and their untiring participation as volunteers in times of disasters, conflicts, calamity and any other situations.

PCW Executive Director Emmeline Verzosa said during her opening remarks, that women’s resilience is not limited to being strong but also in the way how “Juanas” (Filipino women) embody optimism, patience, fortitude, and compassion for others. She added: “Today, March 8, 2014, we are making history or rather herstory! We will show the world that ‘Juanas’ are united, strong and resilient.”

PCW Chairperson Remedios Rikken said that the collective participation of all government agencies to provide equal opportunities for women is crucial in this advocacy.

“Lahat tayo ay may pakialam lalo na sa pagtigil ng karahasan sa mga kababaihan. Bawat isa ay may dapat gawin para masolusyunan ito. [Everyone has a part in ending violence against women (VAW). We should take part to eliminate VAW],” she said.

The PCW will submit the entire documentation of the “Sulong Juana! Human Woman Symbol Formation” to vie for a Guinness World Records. 

This is in partnership with Coca-Cola Philippines which has a program called the Sari-Sari Store Training and Access to Resources or STAR, which is part of the global project called 5by20 that aims to empower five million women by 2020.

“Excluding house chores, 66 percent of the work in the world is being done by women. But they only earn 10 percent of the world’s income,” Coca-Cola Philippines vice president for public affairs and communications Adel Tamano said.

He added that 90 percent of women’s income is spent on the needs of their families and communities. Thus, through the STAR program, Coca-Cola wants to transform women owners of sari-sari stores into better entrepreneurs through a combination of components that would help them overcome barriers to business success.

Sources: PCW, The Philippine Star