PRESS RELEASE
PR-013-2024
04 March 2024, Singapore – The women and men of the Philippine Embassy in Singapore join the departments and agencies of the Philippine Government in observance of the 2024 National Women’s Month (NWM) which runs from 01 to 31 March 2024.
This annual monthly celebration goes back to 1988 when former President Corazon C. Aquino signed Proclamation No. 227 declaring every month as “Women’s Role in History Month”. She called upon every Filipino to observe March with appropriate activities and ceremonies in recognition of Filipino women from all walks of life who contributed to nation building, be it in the political, economic or socio-cultural sphere. Then-President Aquino also designated the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women, now Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), to coordinate the nationwide observance.
The NWM Celebration, now in its 36th year, aims to capitalize on the recurring theme “WE for gender equality and inclusive society”, which will be observed from 2023 to 2028 (parallel with the six-year Philippine Development Plan). The Philippine government will capitalize on this year’s theme as a positive affirmation, on one hand, and a call to action on the other. “WE” represents Women and Everyone and Women and Empowerment. In the 2023 Global Gender Gap Index Report of the World Economic Forum (WEF), the Philippines is in the forefront among Asian countries in terms of narrowing gender gap. The Philippines also ranked 16th among 146 countries globally in terms of WEF’s gender parity, with a score of 79.1%.
The Philippine government, while celebrating the country’s standing in the global community and achievements in relation to gender equality, also recognizes the need for accelerated action and more intensive efforts towards achieving full gender parity. This year’s NWM sub-theme “Lipunang Patas sa Bagong Pilipinas: Kakayahan ng Kababaihan, Patutunayan!” aims to showcase the full potentials of women and girls. This aspiration extends to government agencies and institutions, through programs, activities and projects aimed at mainstreaming gender and development in the bureaucracy, including men in cause for gender equality, and establishing legal frameworks that support women.
The Philippine Embassy in Singapore, though this commemoration, reaffirms its commitment to this national vision by continuing and intensifying its client-focused gender and development programs such as the Post-Arrival Orientation Seminars (PAOS), assistance-to-nationals (ATN) services, and upskilling opportunities.
As part of the month-long celebration, the Embassy dedicates the 17 March 2024 special Sunday operations to our women kababayans. (END).
#NationalWomensMonth2024 #WEcanbeEquALL #PhinSingapore
