BAGUIO CITY (PIA)--Women’s Month celebration in Baguio City  will  officially kick off on Monday, March 4, during the flag raising ceremony at the city hall grounds.

Various activities  are  lined up for the Women’s Month( “Kababaihan Festival”) celebration spotlighting the achievements of women and raising awareness, and address issues related to gender equality and women empowerment.

Highlight will be on March 8 during Women’s Day,  which will start  with a parade, and the  program awarding of the winners  of the  Search for 2024 Outstanding Women Leaders(OWLs) of Baguio, presentation of the 42 candidates for the 2024 Search for Ginang ng Tahanan, and  awarding of plaques to the best Baguio City Police Office Women and Children Protection Desk (BCPO-WCPD).  There will also be a  service caravan  by various government agencies.

A forum on women’s health is set on March 15 at the Health Services Office (HSO) conference hall. Another forum on understanding gender-based violence is set on March 19-22 for women from different barangays spearheaded by City Social Welfare and Development Office.

There will be a gender sensitivity forum on March 16 at Fairview Village Barangay, spearheaded by the BCPO. In the afternoon of March 16, through the initiative of Councilor Elmer Datuin, a women-themed concert at People’s Park is offered free to the public.

An eco-fashion show is scheduled on March 22 at SM Baguio by KALIPI members. On the same day, a dialogue with different sectors dubbed “Digital Innovation for Women Advancement (DIWA)” will be conducted by the Department of Information and Communications Technology Cordillera  at its  training center.

 The Persons with Disability Affairs Office  headed by Dr. Samuel G. Aquino  also scheduled for women with disability  a  lecture on Republic Act 9262 or the Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children Act of 2004 on March 26,  a strategic planning for women on March 25,  a livelihood training on March 4.

Women’s officers-for-a-day will take charge of barangays during the 2nd barangay council meeting for March in all barangay halls.

Other activities are free pap smear and visual inspection acetic acid in all city district health centers for the whole month of March; a women’s summit on March 21 for KALIPI members, and  an ecological and  sustainability fair on March 10 & 17 along Session Road.

Purple Fridays will also be observed on March 8, 15, 22, & 29. The color purple shows efforts for gender equality, justice, and dignity.

The 2024 National Women’s Month Celebration (NWMC) bears the sub-theme, “Lipunang Patas sa Bagong Pilipinas: Kakayahan ng Kababaihan, Patunayan!” It echoes the target outcomes of Chapter 15 in the Updated Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Plan 2019-2025 towards transforming gender norms and culture. (JDP/MAWC-PIA-CAR)