Women’s Month 2023: The Powerful Importance of International Celebration and Empowerment

Unstoppable Progress: The Powerful Importance of 2023 International Women’s Month

Every March, the world pauses to celebrate International Women’s Month, a powerful and inspiring time to honor the extraordinary achievements of women and to renew the commitment to gender equality. In 2023, this celebration carried a renewed urgency—spotlighting how far we’ve come, and how much more we must do to break barriers and build a fairer, more inclusive world.

In the Philippines, 2023 Women’s Month emphasized the importance of recognizing the dynamic roles of Filipina women—not only as caregivers and nurturers in their families but also as leaders, professionals, educators, entrepreneurs, and changemakers. The celebration focused on empowerment, equality, and elevating their voices in every sphere of life.

Women’s Month in the Philippines

The Philippines has taken significant steps to honor women’s contributions. In 1988, President Corazon C. Aquino, the country’s first female head of state and a global icon of democracy and female leadership, issued two landmark proclamations:

• Proclamation No. 224, declaring the first week of March as Women’s Week.

• Proclamation No. 227, designating the entire month of March as Women’s Role in History Month.

Later in 1990, Republic Act No. 6949 officially declared March 8 as National Women’s Day in the Philippines, further institutionalizing the observance of women’s empowerment and rights across the country.

Every year, this celebration brings together various government agencies, educational institutions, businesses, and civil society groups to organize events that uplift, educate, and empower women.

How It All Began: The Origins of Women’s Month

The roots of this international celebration trace back to labor movements and social struggles in the early 20th century. The first National Women’s Day was observed on February 28, 1909, in New York City, organized by the Socialist Party of America to honor the 1908 strike of garment workers who demanded better wages and working conditions.

This powerful movement echoed an even earlier protest in 1857, when women garment workers stood up against unjust labor practices. These courageous acts of defiance laid the groundwork for what would eventually become International Women’s Day, first celebrated on March 19, 1911. Over one million people in Europe gathered to rally for women’s rights—demanding voting rights, the right to work, and the end of gender discrimination.

Later, March 8 was officially adopted as International Women’s Day, and the entire month of March became globally recognized as a time to celebrate and empower women.Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, Beijing Platform for Action, Millennium Development Goals (2000-2015), Philippine Strategy for Gender-Responsive Development (1995-2025), and Framework Plan for Women meetings and debates have been part of the celebration.

To boost government and commercial sector participation in National Women’s Day, she signed Republic Act (RA) 6949 on April 10, 1990. The day has become the country’s biggest women’s event.

Women’s Right

For decades, Filipino women have fought for the right to vote and participate in politics. It took 30 years from 1907, when the suffrage movement was founded, before women were able to join in political advancement. Filipinos value a decent education, and lower-income families believe their children will be able to succeed in life if they study hard in school. Women and men are equally represented in academic institutions and exercise their rights to study and work in a range of sectors of expertise.

The Philippines continues to contend with a high incidence of violence against women despite its above-average development in gender equality. A quarter of women over the age of 15 have at some time in their life suffered physical violence. In addition, only around thirty percent of battered women file police complaints and seek help. Despite the presence of laws criminalizing this sort of violence, the incidence rate continues to rise, mirroring worldwide patterns.

This is one of the reasons why several countries decided to establish international celebrations of women and women’s rights, such as International Women’s Day, which serves as a reminder to people of how important it is to talk about and bring awareness to the challenges that women face all over the world.

During the countrywide celebration, events and activities are organized to honor their accomplishments and advance women’s interests. Women’s Month in the Philippines is an important time to recognize the obstacles women continue to encounter in attaining gender equality. It is a chance for people and groups to work together to create a more fair and equitable society for everyone.

Filipino Women Achievements

Filipina women have long been trailblazers in education, business, politics, and public service. The right to vote, which was achieved in 1937 after 30 years of advocacy, marked the beginning of Filipino women active participation in nation-building.

Today, women in the Philippines are equally represented in schools and hold influential positions in politics, business, and advocacy work. Laws such as the Magna Carta of Women and the Anti-Violence Against Women and Children Act have strengthened protections for women and established frameworks for equality.

These legislative victories reflect the country’s ongoing efforts to institutionalize gender-sensitive policies and ensure equal opportunities for all.

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