Reclaiming Our Spirit and Redefining Our Destiny for a VAW-free Philippines

Philippine Commission on Women’s Statement on the 2025 Observance of the 18-Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women (November 25 to December 12) and the International Day for the Elimination of VAW (November 25)

To our fellow Filipinos, leaders, and champions of justice—today, we mark the start of the 2025 18-Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women (VAW) which also coincides with the International Day for the Elimination of VAW.  We are not doing this for a casual observance, but for a solemn, collective reckoning. This is our nation’s moral mirror, reflecting the unacceptable truth that the shadow of gender-based violence still stretches across the lives of our mothers, daughters, and sisters.

VAW is not merely a legal transgression; it is the silent betrayal of our national soul, a malignant force born from the lie of inequality. It leaves scars deeper than flesh—scars on our communities, on our economy, and on the very promise of the future we are building. The responsibility to eradicate this injustice is a sacred daily trust we must all uphold, long after the 18 days conclude.

The Unbearable Weight of the Clock

We measure our days in achievements and progress, yet every sixty minutes, a clock of global shame ticks.

In that single hour, more than five daughters, sisters, and mothers are brutally killed by those they should trust the most. That is the devastating calculation of femicide within our most intimate spaces, globally recognized by the World Health Organization as a pandemic of violence [1]. Globally, one in three women is made to suffer physical or sexual violence in their lifetime [2]. In the Philippines, the 2022 National Demographic and Health Survey shows that nearly 1 in 5 Filipino women have experienced emotional, physical, or sexual violence at the hands of a current or most recent intimate partner., and 13,275 cases of VAW-related crimes reported to the Philippine National Police (PNP) in 2024 alone are not cold statistics—they are cries for justice from real people whose dignity, dreams, and security have been stolen [3].

VAW inflicts an astronomical economic hemorrhage, a drain paid not just in bills, but in the unquantifiable currency of human potential. The nearly PHP 6 Billion (as estimated in 2002) spent annually on crisis, medical, and psychological interventions for survivors underscores a terrifying reality: every act of violence carries a hidden cost that impoverishes our entire nation [4].

The Chains of Silence and Digital Betrayal

VAW manifests in cruel and calculated ways, each designed to break a woman’s spirit and steal her agency. We speak not only of the visible brutality of physical and sexual assault, but of the insidious forms that erode trust and safety:

• Psychological Tyranny: The constant belittling, the control over decisions, the fear instilled in her mind through threats of violence—these are invisible cages locking women away from their own freedom.
• Economic Starvation: The calculated deprivation of resources and opportunities, weaponizing dependence to maintain absolute control.
• Digital Betrayal: Our online spaces—meant to connect and empower—have been twisted into arenas of harassment, stalking, and sextortion. The Foundation for Media Alternatives has mapped 738 cases of Online Gender-Based Violence since 2012, revealing a terrifying gap where women are vulnerable even with the simple act of holding a phone [5].

Time for Collective Action

Ending VAW is not the sole burden of the victim, nor is it the exclusive domain of the Philippine Commission on Women. It is the defining moral test of our generation.

To Our Government Colleagues: We demand more than compliance. We demand aggressive and sustained implementation. Our laws—from the Ant-VAWC Act, the Magna Carta of Women to the Safe Spaces Act—must be wielded as absolute shields. Justice must be swift, support must be comprehensive, and protection must be instant. We must replace hesitation with certainty, ensuring that every survivor finds refuge, validation, and empowerment.

To the Inheritors of Our Strength—Men and Boys: The time for passive solidarity is over. We call upon you, the architects of our future social contract, to abolish this colonial curse. Be the vanguard. Challenge the toxic stereotypes that normalize abuse. Refuse to stand in silence when you witness injustice. By mentoring the next generation with a commitment to equality and respect, you become the champions who definitively end VAW in the Bagong Pilipinas.To Every Filipino Citizen: Never look away. Courage is not the absence of fear; it is the choice to act in its presence. When you see violence, speak. When you hear a cry, intervene. When you see a sister struggling, stand with her.

Reclaiming Our Spirit, Redefining Our Destiny

Let us remember who we were. Long before colonization sought to impose patriarchy, the Philippines revered women—the Babaylan—as spiritual leaders, healers, and equals. In our relentless fight against violence today, we are reclaiming that fierce, life-affirming spirit. We are healing the wounds of our communities and standing as modern-day architects of justice.

As we observe this 2025 Campaign under the powerful theme, “UNiTEd for a VAW-Free Philippines,” let this be the year we move beyond rhetoric to radical, sustained action.

The time for talking has passed. The moment for transformative change is now.

We call upon every citizen, every leader, and every institution to stand with us. Stand for justice, stand for dignity, and stand for the future. Time is definitively up for VAW. Together, united in courage and commitment, we will walk hand-in-hand toward a Bagong Pilipinas where every woman is absolutely protected, truly empowered, and universally valued.

This is not an 18-day campaign. This is a commitment that will endure until the end of VAW.