Philippine Consulate General Advances Gender Agenda in Chongqing
05 December 2021 – To promote an awareness of the 18-Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women, and in line with its Gender and Development advocacy, the Philippine Consulate General organized a three-part community program today consisting of a Lecture on the Role of Women in China’s Development, an overview of R.A. No. 11313 or the Safe Spaces Act, and a Filipino community fellowship. The program was also streamed online via Zoom for Filipinos in Yunnan and Guizhou, as well as neighboring Sichuan Province.
Consul General Flerida Ann Camille P. Mayo welcomed the offline and online participants and, in her remarks, touted the advancements made by the Philippines in terms of women’s empowerment and in narrowing the gender gap, while acknowledging that so much more needs to be done to achieve gender parity and ending Violence Against Women (VAW).
In her lecture, Ms. Long Wei shared some of the outstanding achievements of China with respect to gender equality in all aspects of development. Ms. Long highlighted the major contributions by notable Chinese women in the country’s economic and social development, which had an impact on China’s reform and opening up. She capped her presentation with an introduction on the role of the Women’s Federation in promoting women’s development in Chongqing and the rest of China.
A discussion of the salient points of Republic Act No. 11313 or the Safe Spaces Act (Anti-Bastos Law) led by Vice Consul Adrian G. Miras followed. Atty. Miras provided an overview of the different forms of gender-based sexual harassment in public spaces, schools, workplace, and online, with the participants sharing their personal experiences and views on the subject.
The last part of the community program was dedicated to the Consul General’s Ulat sa Bayan, where Consul General Mayo updated the audience on the various economic, cultural and public diplomacy engagements of the Consulate since the last community fellowship on 21 September 2021. She encouraged the community’s active participation in the Consulate’s upcoming activities, such as the Lecture-Workshop on the Role of Women in Philippine Cultural History on 12 December 2021 and the Philippine Fruit Festival on 18 December 2021. Vice Consul Miras also took the floor to flag important consular reminders including on overseas voting post-registration activities and the new appointment system for consular services.
Led by the Philippine Commission on Women, this year’s 18-Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women (VAW) promotes awareness of the Safe Spaces Act (RA 11313 or SSA). The Philippine Consulate General in Chongqing throws its full support behind the national vision of a community free from violence against women and girls. END