2022 18-Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women







The Philippines is in the 19th spot out of 146 countries in terms of efforts toward gender parity, according to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2022. While the country is still at the top in Asia in terms of closing the gender gap, there are still various gender issues that must be addressed.


One of these is Violence Against Women (VAW), a pervasive social dilemma that violates women’s rights and fundamental freedoms. The National Demographic Health Survey, released by the Philippine Statistics Authority in 2017, showed that 1 in 4 Filipino women aged 15-49 had experienced physical, emotional, or sexual violence from their husbands or partner.   


Global estimates by the World Health Organization indicate that about 1 in 3 women (35%) worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual violence from an intimate partner or non-partner in their lifetime. Cognizant of the issue, the United Nations launched UNiTE by 2030 to End Violence against Women campaign (UNiTE), a multi-year effort aimed at preventing and eliminating violence against women and girls (VAWG) worldwide. This global campaign “calls on governments, civil society, women’s organizations, young people, the private sector, the media, and the entire UN system to join forces in addressing the global pandemic of violence against women and girls.”

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The Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) remains steadfast in advocating to stop and prevent this problem through the annual 18-Day Campaign to end VAW. Aligning the Philippine Campaign with UNiTE by 2030 and sustaining the traction gained from the 2016 to 2021 theme, “VAW-free Community Starts with Me,” the upcoming Campaign will focus on the new recurring banner UNiTEd for a VAW-free Philippines.” This theme aims to highlight the powerful impact of combining individual efforts towards a collaborative and united thrust towards a VAW-free Philippines.



2022 Campaign Theme and Objectives


The 2022 campaign will highlight the strides made in anti-VAW efforts in line with the Philippines’ 20th year of participation in the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. In 2002, the Philippine government joined this global campaign with the call to action to immediately pass the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act. Republic Act 9208 was enacted in 2003. The succeeding years of the campaign became instrumental in advocating for the passage of other anti-VAW laws and promoting or popularizing the same. This includes the enactment of the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act or RA 9262 in the year 2004, the adoption of RA 9208 and RA 9262 Implementing Rules and Regulations, and the creation of Inter-Agency Councils and Committees and the national, regional, and local levels to oversee the popularization and implementation of the laws.


With this milestone, this year’s campaign also aims to gain insights as to where the country is in understanding and acting on VAW. The major activities will endeavor to gauge the awareness of citizens on VAW and its forms and manifestations as well as underscore the gains attained in the journey towards a VAW-free community.



Objectives

The 2022 18-Day Campaign to End VAW aims to:

  1. Promote awareness on the forms of violence women and girls experience, provide information on the laws protecting women and girls, and feature VAW-related services that people can access and avail;
  2. Gather insights on the general public’s level of awareness on VAW, specifically on the Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children Act (Republic Act 9262 ) , Safe Spaces Act (Republic Act 11313), and the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act (Republic Act 9208 as amended by Republic Act No. 11862)
  3. Highlight the gains and milestones in the efforts to prevent and address VAW and the Philippines’ participation in the global campaign to end it.


Key Activities

The following key activities shall be conducted in partnership with key agencies and organizations:



18-Day Campaign Kick-off Ceremony

The PCW, in collaboration with the Inter-Agency Council on Violence Against Women and their Children, will launch the campaign on November 25, 2022. The kick off ceremony will be the venue to present the social experiment’s results and gather the insights and pledges to act of duty bearers. The ceremony will feature the milestones of the efforts to prevent and address the problem of VAW and will spotlight on the means and ways to strengthen its implementation. It shall also serve as the platform to promote other campaign activities, including the Orange Exhibit, VAW Dokyu, and the dissemination of IEC materials.



The Orange Exhibit: Journey towards a VAW-free Philippines

The Orange Exhibit is a trip down memory lane: from 2002 when the Philippines started participating in the global campaign to end VAW and its 20 years of elevating the discussion on this pervasive social issue. To be installed at the campaign launch, the Orange Exhibit will underscore how the campaign became instrumental in raising awareness on VAW, leading to the passage of landmark legislation, including RA 9208 (Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003) and RA 9262 (Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004), as well as the popularization of anti-VAW laws, including those covering rapes and sexual harassment.



#RaiseYourVoice Experience Sharing Campaign

Users can use this hashtag when posting content related to their personal experiences of violence. This aims to help victim-survivors talk about the realities of being subjected to abuse and help destigmatize conversations about VAW. By letting victims take control of their narratives, PCW hopes to foster healthy dialogue, diminish victim-blaming, and encourage help-seeking behavior.



#VowToEndVAW Commitment Campaign

If survivors stand up against VAW, the community must stand alongside them. With #VowToEndVAW, all the citizens are invited to post their photos, posing with the Stop VAW sign and indicating in the caption what they can do to contribute to a VAW-free community.



#VAWfreePH

To sustain the drive towards a VAW-free community, the online campaign is still under the hashtag #VAWfreePH. Social media cards explaining Republic Act 9262, Profile Frames, messaging platform stickers, and other online collaterals will be utilized to promote the advocacy.



Orange Your Icon Advocacy Initiative

This initiative urges government offices and private organizations nationwide to color its major landmarks or icons with orange from November 25 to December 12 this year in line with the 18-Day Campaign to End VAW. Launched in 2015, this initiative aims to attract and spark the public’s curiosity, providing opportunities for advocates to explain and declare their support for the Anti-VAW advocacy. This will serve as a springboard for public discourse and for disseminating the message of zero-tolerance for VAW.



Suggested Activities for Government Agencies, Local Government Units, and Regional and Local Gender and Development (GAD) and VAW Mechanisms


In view of the above, government agencies and instrumentalities, non-government organizations, sectoral groups, private and civil society organizations at the national, regional, and local levels are enjoined to conduct any of the following activities in line with this year’s campaign theme:

  • The printing and display of the 2022 18-Day Campaign to End VAW official banner in their offices or localities;
  • Presentation of 2022 18-Day Campaign to End VAW activities in respective Flag Raising Ceremonies in November and recommend the participation of their staffers and stakeholders. The use of the All-Women Cast Lupang Hinirang Video in activities is also recommended.  The music video can be downloaded in our Digital GAD Library
  • Signifying support to the campaign by uploading the official logo, banner, advocacy videos, and other 18-Day Campaign to End VAW advocacy materials on their website and social media accounts;
  • Development and production of Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials for the 2022 18-Day Campaign to End VAW which include collaterals designed by PCW and agency-specific materials to raise awareness on VAW for distribution to staffers, clients, and the general public;
  • Reproduction of PCW-developed materials on VAW provided that the content, design, and integrity of the materials are retained; 
  • Playing/showing of PCW-produced and agency-produced (if there are any) videos/infomercials on VAW, anti-VAW laws, and services for survivors in public areas, electronic billboards, television/radio programs and other relevant platforms/venues managed by their office. PCW-produced videos can be downloaded from the PCW Digital GAD Library, , PCW’s official YouTube channel (PCWGovPH), and Facebook page;
  • Participation in the online campaign thread about the observance by uploading photos, news features, and other information relative to the 18-Day Campaign to End VAW in social media accounts using the hashtags #VAWfreePHThe use of the 18-Day Campaign to End VAW Facebook Profile Frame for agency pages and individual profiles is also encouraged. The designs will be made available through the PCW FB page;
  • Use of the 2022 18-Day Campaign to End VAW Sticker pack on messaging platforms (Viber and Telegram). These sticker packs contain illustrations and  meaningful messages about VAW.
  • Conduct of orientation or forum regarding anti-VAW laws (e.g. Republic Act 9262 also known as the Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children Act,  Republic Act 11313 or the Safe Spaces Act, and anti-Trafficking in Persons laws)  which can inform internal and external stakeholders on their core provisions. Government and private entities tasked to implement specific provisions of these laws are also encouraged to conduct internal discussions, capacity-building activities, and learning sessions on operationalizing their mandates and assessing the status of their implementation;
  • The Orange Exhibit: Journey towards a VAW-free Philippines – Agencies, institutions, and organizations can download the exhibit design and install it within the campaign period in their respective offices or public places for wider reach. They can also develop their own Orange Exhibit featuring the accomplishments of the agencies in the fight against VAW as well as the services available for survivors, if any. 
  • Participation in the #RaiseYourVoice Experience Sharing Campaign#VowToEndVAW Online Commitment, and other online campaign;
  • Organizing relevant, timely, appropriate, and impactful activities related to this year’s theme and focus during the 18-Day Campaign to End VAW period, with both external and internal stakeholders as participants;
  • For Regional GAD Committees, Regional and Local Inter-Agency Committees on Trafficking in Persons and VAWC, regional/field offices, and LGUs: Coordination with other government regional offices or LGUs for inter-agency and LGU collaboration in holding regional and local activities at the regional and local level. 
  • For Men Opposed against Violence Everywhere (MOVE)  Chapters: Gather support from fellow males and conduct activities that can highlight positive masculinity and male advocates’ important role in the anti-VAW advocacy.