As the National Women's Month kicked off on Monday, March 1, the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) renewed its call for women's empowerment and gender equality.

This year's Women's Month celebration highlights women's role in the society during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

"We celebrate women trailblazers in politics, governance, and other areas of public service and development efforts, especially during the pandemic," PCW said in a statement.

"Women from all the walks of life have shown leadership and compassion in the delivery of inclusive, innovative, and effective responses to the pandemic. In every family, every barangay, every island of the nation, and every small or big organization, we have Juanas who take the role of solution providers, peacemakers, and trendsetters during these difficult times," it added.

PCW hopes that the observance will be used as a platform "discuss gender issues the pandemic has exacerbated." 

The agency likewise called on the policy-makers to ensure that women's needs are met and integrated in COVID-19 response and recovery programs.

"As we celebrate women's strength and resilience, we also recognize that this health crisis has its gendered impacts that we cannot neglect. We saw women bearing the brunt of intensive domestic work, women and girls striving to adjust to the new normal like online classes, women being in the frontlines battling the pandemic, women entrepreneurs losing their businesses, women workers facing pay cuts or entirely losing their job, women experiencing different forms of violence during the implementation of quarantine measures," PCW underscored.

This year’s Women’s Month Celebration theme is “We Make Change Work for Women Juana Laban sa Pandemya: Kaya!”

Proclamation No, 227 series of 1998 provides for the observance of the month of March as Women’s Role in History month, while Republic Act No. 6949 series of 1990 declares March 8 as International Women’s Day.