Love means ending violence vs women – Gabriela Youth
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 14 February) – Celebrate Valentine’s Day by supporting calls to end all forms of violence against women, a leader of a progressive group urged during a dance protest Saturday held in solidarity with the global “One Billion Movement.”
“This February 14, we don’t just celebrate Valentine’s Day or go out on dates with our loved ones. The biggest form of love we can give today is to continuously support women, particularly in joining calls to end any kind of violence against them,” Lys Ancheta, spokesperson for Gabriela Youth, said in Cebuano during a rally at Freedom Park along Roxas Avenue.
She urged Dabawenyos to strive to create a safer environment for women.
“In an ideal society, no woman should experience violence against her rights, whether economic, physical, mental, or emotional,” she said.
Ancheta lamented that violence against women has persisted in the country, including in Davao City.
Citing data from the United Nations, Ancheta said that one in three girls worldwide experienced violence during their lifetime.
She noted that 12,046 cases of violence against women were reported nationwide in 2024.
Around 50 rallyists from Gabriela Southern Mindanao, Gabriela Youth, Sabokahan, and Bagong Alyansang Makabayan-Southern Mindanao Region (Bayan-SMR) joined the protest on Saturday, chanting, among others, “Abante Babae! Palaban Militante!” before dancing to “Bangon Babae” and “Bangon na sa Rebolusyon.”
Rose Hayahay, secretary general of Gabriela-Southern Mindanao, said violence against women and children (VAWC) in the country is worsening, as many women continue to suffer from abuse, and lamented government inaction on the issue.
“Today, we are still living under a feudal and patriarchal system, where women continue to be regarded with little value,” she said.
Hayahay also criticized officials involved in corruption, which, she said, severely affects the women’s sector.
She stated that stolen public funds were intended to finance government projects that would help the poor and even victims of abuse.
Rauf Sissay, a secretariat member of Bayan-SMR, added that they continue to call to hold President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte accountable.
She said VAWC worsened due to a lack of funding for programs like mental and reproductive health that promote the wellbeing of women and support survivors of abuse.
In a statement, the progressive groups said the protest action was held in “solidarity with women survivors of all forms of violence and exploitation, and calling for accountability from top to bottom regarding the flood control scandal and other corruption cases.”
“It is also clear that systematic corruption and misuse of public funds weaken our institutions’ ability to protect women and children,” it said.
It added that “recent flood control corruption controversy, where billions of pesos were funneled into questionable projects with little tangible impact, reflects a deeper injustice: when public resources are misused, communities lose access to essential protection, education, and social services.”
“We are calling for an end to all forms of violence against women and standing up to fight against corruption and fascism in all forms,” it said. (Antonio L. Colina IV/MindaNews)
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