The nationwide campaign #RespetoNaman marks its first anniversary by going to Naga City to further raise awareness of gender-based violence (GBV) in the Philippines.
Launched in November 2018, the campaign is a collaboration among the Office of Vice President Leni Robredo, the Embassy of Sweden in the Philippines, SPARK! Philippines, UN Women, Empower, Terre des Hommes through Girls Advocacy Alliance, and Para sa Sining.
#RespetoNaman will be bringing the conversation to Naga City, through the #DontTellThemHowToDress exhibit, which features the stories of GBV victims, as well as educational forums.
Robredo, who hails from Naga City, has emphasized the importance of making safe spaces for women to thrive.
“Women empowerment in the 21st century is no longer just about representation and activism,” she said. “Each one of us is called to go beyond lip service, and be more proactive in championing the cause of making our spaces not only safe for women, but conducive to their success.”
For her part, SPARK! executive director Maica Teves said, “The past year has been amazing for us, the #RespetoNaman campaign has reached great heights in raising awareness on the issue of gender-based violence.”
“For the coming year we’re gearing towards a more action-oriented approach, focusing on working with communities to create sustainable and lasting solutions to end violence in the Philippines,” added Teves.
In its second year, the campaign aims to create stronger policies with better implementation, offer more holistic support for victim-survivors, and increase prevention efforts by working with local government units, the private sector, law schools, and civil-society organizations.
The campaign will have additional forums in Metro Manila, covering topics on building safe spaces in schools and at the workplace, and the laws governing gender-based violence. It will also launch an online platform for the campaign with a version of the #DontTellMeHowToDressExhibit to make it more accessible.