Activities for the National Women’s Month are all planned and now scheduled, said the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) less than a month before the annual celebration begins.

In the Philippines, National Women’s Month is celebrated annually in March to highlight women’s achievements and discuss emerging and continuing gender issues and concerns. With the theme “WE for gender equality and inclusive society,” PCW seeks to emphasize the need for “compassionate and harmonized networks towards women empowerment” in 2023.

“he theme aligns with the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028, which aims for deep economic and special transformation to reinvigorate job creation and accelerate poverty reduction by steering the economy back on a high-growth path,” said the commission.

“The plan also highlights that growth must be inclusive, building an environment that provides equal opportunities to all Filipinos,” it added.

In order to educate the public and engage them in pushing for a gender inclusive nation, PCW organized various activities in time for the month-long celebration.

DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality

This year’s celebration will commence on March 8, 2023 with the celebration of International Women’s Day (IWD) which will focus on innovation and technology for gender equality.

Through this, PCW, together with its advocacy partners, will lay out issues and gender-related policies that must be discussed in the field of technology, innovation, as well as information and communications technology.

“IWD will also inform as to the status of women and will serve as the venue for the discussion of pressing gender issues,” it furthered.

'Pulso para sa Kababaihan, Tungo sa Kaunlaran' poll

Apart from the IWD event, PCW will also release the results of its online poll “Pulso para sa Kababaihan, Tungo sa Kaunlaran,” which was initially launched in 2022 in hopes of discovering the challenges faced by women in the present time.

“he poll results will serve as a guide for sitting officials, but also for government agencies, private organizations, and advocates in crafting programs, activities, and projects,” it explained.

Digital Forum Series

For the benefit of the public, a series of digital forums will also be held in March. Scheduled on March 15, the first forum – “ChatGE: Talk about Gender Equality” will focus on the government’s journey and efforts in raising the visibility of women in the field of technology.

“This event will inform women about the programs, activities, and projects the government provides and that they can avail themselves,” PCW explained.

This will be followed by the “Safe in Tech, Innovation, and Cyberspace” forum which will be conducted on March 22. With this, experts are set to tackle the vulnerabilities women and girls are exposed to and discuss possible solutions and “security mechanisms.”

To culminate all these, the last forum will be held on March 29. Titled “Kasama ALL: Inclusivity in Innovation and Technology,” the digital event will feature opportunities for women in technology.

As to why all of these activities are important, PCW stressed that these show the truth about the country’s struggles in hopes of achieving gender inclusivity. Not only that, these also shed light on what Filipinos can still do to support all.