26 November 2024, Singapore – The Philippine Embassy in Singapore officially launched its participation in the 18-day Campaign to End Violence Against Women (VAW) with a Breast Cancer Awareness Talk. The campaign, which runs from 25 November to 12 December 2024, aligns with the Philippine Government’s national efforts and international advocacy to combat violence and promote women’s health and well-being. 

The campaign, which is led by the Philippine Commission on  Women (PCW) in collaboration with the Inter-Agency Council on Violence Against Women and their Children (IACVAWC), adheres to Proclamation 1172, Series of 2006 which establishes the “18-Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women”, and  Republic Act (RA) 10398 which declares November 25 as “National Consciousness Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Children”.

The Philippines’ 18-Day Campaign is aligned with the International Community’s 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign, observed annually from November 25 (International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women) to December 10 (Human Rights Day). 

The Philippines extended the campaign to December 12, a historic date that marked the signing of the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children in 2000.

The 2024 Campaign marks the third year the theme “UNiTEd for a VAW-free Philippines” is observed and celebrates the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children Act or RA 9262, a cornerstone legislation addressing gender-based violence.

In a statement, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., called for a decisive action to end all forms of violence against women, emphasizing that such violence – whether physical, psychological, or sexual – is a violation of human rights.  Philippine Ambassador to Singapore Medardo G. Macaraig echoed the President’s sentiment, stressing the Embassy’s role in affirming the Philippines’ adherence to international commitments, particularly the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

To kick off the campaign, the Embassy organized a Breast Cancer Awareness Talk for its personnel on 25 November 2024. The session focused on educating attendees about breast cancer symptoms of  regular self-examinations. Resource speakers Dr. Sonia Lee and Dr. Lim Siew Kuan of Solis Breast Care & Surgery in Singapore, underlined that early detection means better prognosis and more effective treatment plan, leading to higher survival rate for breast cancer patients.

Kababayans are highly encouraged to visit the PCW website to know more about the Campaign. Kababayans are also encouraged to participate in nation-wide activities such as the #VowToEndVAW Commitment Campaign in which the public can post “Stop VAW” photos captioned with personal thoughts and suggestions on how to achieve a VAW-free Philippines. (END).

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