The Supreme Court vowed on Tuesday to intensify efforts in ending violence against women and children as it cited data that there are 646 reported cases of violence against children and 216 cases of violence against women in the Philippines for 1 January and 4 February 2024 alone.

Associate Justice Jhosep Y. Lopez said that of the 646 violence against children cases, 462 or 71.52 percent involved sexual abuse or assault.

“We urge everyone to be more aggressive in our fight against gender inequality and discrimination,” Lopez said.

He added that education will serve “as a potent tool in eliminating violence against women and children” by “fostering open dialogue dispelling myths, and nurturing understanding, we empower our communities to cultivate a culture drawn from love, compassion and respect.”

This comes as the High Court called for unity and inclusivity in reiterating its commitment to ending all forms of violence against women, at the kick-off activity in support of the 2024 One Billion Rising Global Campaign: Rise for Freedom.

Through its Committee on Gender Responsiveness in the Judiciary, the Court said that the One Billion Rising Global Campaign is in conformity with the Court’s blueprint of action for judicial reform, the Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027.

One of the guiding principles of SPJI is equal and inclusive justice as Associate Justice Henri Jean Paul B. Inting said that the Court — through the CGRJ — has already institutionalized policies focused on gender equality and inclusivity in line with the SPJI, “which aspires to nurture a culture of respect, sensitivity, and inclusivity across distinct genders, identities, roles, needs and vulnerabilities.”