By Chito Chavez In commemoration of the women’s month, the Quezon City Public Affairs and Information Services Department (PAISD) distributed informative life-size standees to the city’s offices and establishments as part of the awareness campaign to fight violence against women and children (VAWC). Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista (FACEBOOK / MANILA BULLETIN) The standees contain a checklist of signs of abuse and what to do if you are a victim of abuse and harassment. It also contains contact information and help lines of the QC Gender and Development Council, QC Police District Women and Child Protection Desk, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and Philippine National Police Women and Child Protection. Public Affairs Chief Ares Gutierrez presented the standees to Mayor Herbert Bautista as the city government vowed to fend off all forms of abuses against women and children. With reverence to Bautista’s advocacy, QC implemented groundbreaking ordinances on gender and development, including the Gender Fair Ordinance, Anti-Catcalling Ordinance, and the Gender and Development Code of Quezon City. “Women have the right to be respected, protected, and equal access to opportunities. In fact, these rights are universally deserved by everyone, whether you’re lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual, or a man or a woman,” Bautista said. Since the signing of the QC Anti-Catcalling Ordinance or City Ordinance 2501-2016, QCPD has apprehended three offenders. Recently, Novaliches Police Station (PS 4) arrested a construction worker for violating City Ordinance 2501-2016. The city government has also partnered with the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) to pilot the “Safe Cities Program” of UN Women. A total of 20 informative six-foot-tall standees will be placed at the QC Hall and other public areas such as malls, bus stations, Metro Rail Transit/Light Rail Transit terminals, and schools.