As timely as it can get, I am writing this article just a few days before the 18-Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women (VAW) begins. The campaign officially starts on 25 November and will end on 12 December.

In accordance with Republic Act 10398, the first day of the campaign was declared National Consciousness Day for The Elimination of Violence Against Women and Children. The last day coincides with the International Day Against Trafficking, as adopted by the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children.

Similarly, the 18-day campaign is based on Presidential Proclamation 1172, series of 2006, which mandates the observance of an 18-Day Campaign to End VAW in the Philippines. The proclamation was signed by then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

For this year, the campaign will center around the recurring six-year (2022-2027) theme, “UNiTEd for a VAW-free Philippines,” which is aligned with the “UNiTE by 2030 to End VAW” initiative of the United Nations. The campaign has a sub-theme, “VAW Bigyang-Wakas, Ngayon na ang Oras!” which breaks down into five objectives.

These objectives are: (a) highlight 20 years of achievements in addressing VAW by marking two decades of the Anti-VAW Act (RA 9262); (b) raise public awareness about the various forms and impact of VAW, while emphasizing that VAW is a public crime and encourage safe, effective interventions in preventing and addressing VAW within their communities, particularly in public spaces; (c) encourage individuals, communities, and government to work together to create a comprehensive response to VAW with strong focus on prevention.

The last two objectives are: (d) empower survivors by disseminating information on available support services and resources, fostering a society that empowers survivors to seek justice and rebuild their lives; and (e) launch the National Action Plan to End VAW (NAPEVAW), which lays down the roadmap toward eliminating VAW in the country.

To achieve these objectives, the Philippine Commission on Women in collaboration with the Inter-Agency Council on Violence Against Women and their Children (IACVAWC) will hold an onsite program to discuss preliminary findings from the RA 9262 assessment, and additionally launch the NAPEVAW, tackle the crucial role of Barangay VAW Desks, and feature victim-survivors who have benefitted from the Anti-VAWC Act of 2004. The program will be held this Monday, 25 November.

There is a list of activities for this campaign, and I wish to highlight the small ways that we can all contribute to create awareness for this campaign and ensure its success. I ask the readers, both women and men alike, to use the hashtags below to show support for the fight against VAW.

#VAWfreePH is the official hashtag for the 18-day Campaign to End VAW. Let’s join the online campaign by using this hashtag on our VAW-related social media posts. Aside from the official campaign hashtag, let us use #FilipinoMarespeto and #SafeSpacesKasaliTayo. With the #VowToEndVAW hashtag, we can post our photos captioned with personal thoughts and suggestions on how we can realize a VAW-free Philippines

Kababaihan, an organization advocating for justice, health and economic empowerment for women, is also doing its part with the hashtag #WagPo. We can use this as well as it is aligned with this 18-day campaign.

Through these hashtags, the public can foster a culture of respect not just for women but for one another, inspire others to address gender-based sexual harassment and other offenses, and create safer spaces for all.

The 18 days will pass us by very quickly so I ask all of us to spread this campaign to all our families and friends. VAW is not only an issue for women, it is an issue for everyone. I implore all of us to contribute to the fight to end VAW beyond the campaign and its activities, and to incorporate it in our daily lives.

The road to victory over VAW is difficult and long, but if we all do our part it will be within our reach.