March is Women's Month
The National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women (NCRFW) will once again spearhead the 2008 Women's Month Celebration.
This year's celebration will revolve around the theme of the 52nd Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, "Financing for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women."
This year's local theme, "CEDAW ng Bayan: Yaman ng Kababaihan" will focus on the need to generate resources to finance initiatives on gender equality and the empowerment of women.
The 2008 Women's Month Celebration will serve as a channel for the nationwide campaign to promote the use of gender and development (GAD) budget to finance gender equality and women's empowerment programs at the national and local levels, specifically in addressing the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women's (CEDAW) Committee's Concluding Comments, said a NCRFW online news.
The occasion will likewise serve as a venue for reviewing gender mainstreaming efforts relating to gender budgeting and exploring possible partnerships and collaboration with non-government organizations, development institutions and private sector for resource generation initiatives, the news added.
The month-long activities for the celebration include NGO Women's Day Celebration with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Women's Day Celebration to feature AIM High Pinay Campaign for Stories on Young Women Achievers, LGU Women's Day Celebration, and launch of Encyclopedia of Philippine Women sub-portal of www.wikipilipinas.org as well as Philippine Women's Studies microsite of www.Filipiniana.net.
All government agencies/institutions, local government units, private sector and civil society groups are enjoined to conduct activities such as forum, seminars, job fair, exhibits, services in line with the celebration, the NCRFW stressed. (PIA/NCRFW)