By Vicente W. Villavert

The opening program of the Women’s Month celebration in Antique was ushered in by the launching of “One Billion Rising” at the Evelio B. Javier Freedom Park here led by Gov. Rhodora J. Cadiao as she called the women sector to be active drivers of change.
One Billion Rising is an expression of outrage through dancing to demand an end to violence against women in solidarity with the hundreds of countries across the world.
“For the abused women, battered wives, victims of rape, sexual harassments and other forms of violence, we have the right to shout for justice and let this be a challenge because we have now the voice to counter violence against women,” Gov. Cadiao said during the program.
Cadiao said that in support to Proclamation No. 224 “Declaring the first week of March of every year as Women’s Week and March 8 as Women’s Rights and International Peace Day, the provincial government through the Gender and Development Inter-Agency Committee will spearhead the conduct of activities for the aforesaid dates, and for the whole month of March.
The activities set today will include mass, parade, demonstration and entrepreneurship training, demonstration on sushi preparation, food processing, training on wallet making made of abaca, random blood sampling, conduct of lecture on crime prevention, counseling, and dental extraction, among others.
Other highlights of the Women’s Month celebration include the conduct of Overseas Filipino Workers Summit and the GAD Planning and Budget Workshop for Antique provincial offices.

The theme “We Make Change Work for Women” will be used from year 2017 to 2022. This is also anchored on the commitment of “Malasakit at Pagbabago” or True Compassion and Real Change./VWV, WDJ