25 November 2021, Singapore – The Philippine Embassy in Singapore joins the departments and agencies of the Philippine Government in the observance of the 18-Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women which runs from today, 25 November, to 12 December 2021.
This year’s focus is the Safe Spaces Act (SSA or Republic Act No. 11313) and its Implementing Rules and Regulations. In effect since August 2019, the SSA defines and penalizes gender-based sexual harassment in the streets and public spaces, workplace, educational and training institutions, and online.
Through this annual campaign, the Philippines reaffirms its commitment to continue to uphold the maxim that gender-based violence hampers women and girls from achieving their full potential, as it detrimentally affects their well-being by leaving long-term physical, psychological, sexual and mental consequences.
The Campaign, which has been observed since 2006, aims, among other objectives, to elevate in public fora the vision of a community free from violence against women (VAW). In keeping with this vision, the Inter-Agency Council on Violence Against Women adopted the theme “VAW-free community starts with Me” for the years 2016 to 2021. Central to this theme is highlighting what can be done to achieve a VAW-free community.
To promote awareness about the SSA, the Philippine Embassy will be sharing with the public, through its official Facebook and Instagram accounts, the digital materials developed by the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) which highlight the acts and behavior that are considered gender-based sexual harassment in the streets, public spaces, and cyberspace. For the information to reach a wider audience, the Embassy invites kababayans in Singapore to share the information with family and friends in the Philippines.
Philippine Ambassador to Singapore, H.E. Joseph del Mar Yap, also invites kababayans to participate in the online activities organized by the Embassy and other Philippine government agencies to commemorate the Campaign. One of these activities is an online legal aid clinic to be held on 05 December 2021, from 1:30 pm to 5:30 pm, that the Philippine Embassy is organizing in coordination with the International Pro-Bono Alliance Incorporated. The details of the legal clinic and other activities for the campaign will be shared through the Embassy’s official website and social media accounts. (END).