A thousand and more supporters of women’s safety in the streets are expected to light the Quezon City sky as the Safe Cities Programme of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women or UN Women and the Quezon City Government kicks off the campaign activities in celebration of National Women’s Month.
The campaign begins with “Lighting the Way to Safe Cities” slated on Monday, March 7, 3pm at the Quezon City Memorial Circle to celebrate the eve of International Women’s Day, commemorated globally every 8th of March.
The Safe Cities Quezon City Programme will hold back-to-back events starting with a Press Conference & Media Launch of results from “How Safe are Women in our City Streets? – A Baseline Study on Street Harassment and Sexual Violence Against Women and Girls in Public Spaces.”
It will be followed by a grand assembly of government, NGOs, other civil society organizations, and UN agencies as a show of support and to participate in a lighting ceremony that is expected to be a visual spectacle which aims to raise national awareness on the issue of street harassment and sexual violence against women and girls (SVAWG) in public spaces.
It will be hosted by: Jules Galang and Karla Paderna, of PTV 4 “Good Morning, Boss” with an appearance by Special Celebrity Supporter of UN Women’s Safe Cities Global Initiative, Ms. Glaiza De Castro. The activities are in partnership with WhenInManila.com.
Aside from this, several activities are lined up for the campaign and celebration of the National Women’s Month throughout the city such as conduct of trainings against sexual harassment and other forms of sexual violence against women in public spaces among male gender equality advocates, LGBT grassroots organizations, women with disabilities; as well as a self-defense training led by the Safe Cities spokesperson, celebrity Glaiza de Castro.
Quezon City is the pilot city of the Safe Cities Global Initiative implemented by the UN Women in the Philippines.
For more information UN Women and the activities, log on to www.unwomen.org.
