MORE THAN 3,000 women and men in purple shaded shirts parade the city streets to celebrate the 115th International Women’s Day on Saturday, March 8.
From Freedom Park in Roxas Avenue to Rizal Park, City Hall grounds, women leaders, government employees, civil society members, and women rights advocates painted the streets purple.
Lorna Mandin, Integrated Gender and Development Division head, organizing committee for the annual event, said the celebration is the city’s commitment to further the quest to gender equality.
“Truly women are always unstoppable and incredible, gipamatud-an nato karong adlawa nga naa ta karon,” Mandin said.
Mandin said there were an estimated 30,000 participants as the event was simultaneously held in the other nine political districts.
On top of the commemoration of the 115th IWD, the city also celebrated the gains of the creation of the Women Development Code.
Patricia Melliza Bello Ruivivar said in her keynote speech at the annual event reflects the city’s continued commitment to women empowerment.
Ruivivar was one of the pillars of the Women Development Code, and the first to head the IGDD where the city was recognized as Galing Pook awardee.
The Code was the model of national laws of the country, including but not limited to the Anti-Trafficking Law and the Violence against Women and Children Act.
In her keynote speech, she introduced the Davao Food Revolution 2.0, to promote access to affordable healthy food in schools and communities, in a bid to mobilize the women in healthy food production.
“The Davao Food Revolution 2.0 will mobilize women social entrepreneurs and localize organic farmers to power the movement of healthy food, which will solve malnutrition in children,” Ruivivar stressed.
The initiative will be led by women’s groups recognizing their role and influence in the family in terms of food preparation.
The Davao Food Revolution was first launched in 2012, but was not sustained. With the re-launching, it aims to support more women entrepreneurs with the expanded partnerships.
Interested applicants may visit the IGDD office for appropriate documentation and financing assistance.
