COTABATO CITY โ The Bangsamoro Planning and Development Authority (BPDA) joined here on Wednesday, March 8, the kick-off ceremony in this yearโs observance of the National Womenโs Month to celebrate the significant role of women in peacebuilding and nation-building by highlighting their contributions in the transition, implementation of the peace agreement, and normalization.
This yearโs theme โWE for Gender Equity and Inclusive Societyโ is aligned with the 2nd Bangsamoro Development Plan 2023-2028 and the enhanced BARMM 12-Point Priority Agenda which aims for an empowered, cohesive, and progressive Bangsamoro.
In his message delivered by Director Akmad Guinta, BPDA Director General Engr. Mohajirin T. Ali stressed that the said celebration is not only significant for women and girls but also for the families, communities, and countries, highlighting that it is the time to reiterate their needs for health, social, economic, and political development.
โThe Bangsamoro government ensures that women and girls are represented in its development plans, and are considered various, if not majority, of its programs, projects, services and activities of the ministries, offices, and agencies,โ DG Ali said.
Being the lead agency of this annual celebration, BWC chairperson Bainon G. Karon underscored that this yearโs theme is also aligned with the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 which calls for a deep economic and social transformation to reinvigorate job creation and accelerate poverty reduction by steering the economy back on a high-growth path.
โTo be able to achieve this, we should ensure inclusive and equitable access to quality services for social justice and human capital development and build peaceful, safe and resilient Bangsamoro communities,โ she stressed.
Karon further emphasized that creating a gender-equitable and inclusive society requires a multifaceted approach that involves addressing institutional and systemic biases, implementing policies that promote gender equity and diversity, and creating a culture that values and embraces diversity.
โGender equity and an inclusive society form a powerful force for positive change. When individuals and communities are treated with respect and dignity, they are more likely to feel empowered and inspired to contribute meaningfully to society,โ she added.
Moreover, March 8 of every year is International Women’s Day (IWD) – a global holiday celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women, which also brings attention to issues such as gender equality, and violence and abuse against women. (๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐ฟ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฟ๐๐-๐ฟ๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐ ๐, ๐ต๐๐ท๐ด-๐ต๐ด๐ ๐๐)