DepEd Memorandum 015, s. 2024
2024 National Women's Month Celebration
DepEd Memorandum No. 015, s. 2024, outlines the guidelines for the 2024 National Women's Month Celebration (NWMC), aligning with the Philippine Commission on Women's initiatives to honor women's contributions and promote gender equality. The memorandum highlights legal provisions supporting the NWMC, including presidential proclamations and Republic Acts. It underscores the theme "WE for Gender Equality and Inclusive Society" and the sub-theme "Lipunang Patas sa Bagong Pilipinas: Kakayahan ng Kababaihan, Patutunayan!" as central to this year's celebration, emphasizing empowerment and inclusivity. Through a range of recommended activities, including flag-raising ceremonies, forums, and online advocacy, DepEd encourages active participation to foster awareness and action toward gender equality and women's empowerment, in line with broader national development goals. Compliance with existing regulations ensures the effective implementation of NWMC initiatives, urging immediate dissemination of the memorandum for widespread engagement and support.
Table of Contents:
IV. Celebration Initiatives and Activities
V. Guidelines and Recommendations
VIII. Full copy of DepEd Memorandum No. 015, s. 2024
MAR 07 2024
DepEd MEMORANDUM
No. 015, s. 2024
2024 NATIONAL WOMEN'S MONTH CELEBRATION
To: Undersecretaries
Assistant Secretaries
Bureau and Service Directors
Regional Directors
Schools Division Superintendents
Public Elementary and Secondary School Heads
All Others Concerned
1. The Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) spearheads the annual National Women's Month Celebration (NWMC) from March 1 to 31, 2024, which honors women and their contribution to nation-building. It highlights the need to protect, promote, and fulfill women's rights and welfare to maximize their potential and talents, enabling them to be agents of the country's development. This celebration also coincides with the worldwide observance of International Women's Day (IWD).
2. The national celebration is pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 224, s. 1988, declaring the first week of March every year as Women's Week and March 8 as Women's Rights and International Peace Day; Presidential Proclamation No. 227, s. 1988, providing for the observance of March as Women's Role in History Month; and Republic Act (RA) No. 6949 (1990), declaring March 8 of every year as National Women's Day.
3. In addition, the country also celebrates the Girl Child Week and the Women with Disabilities Day within the Women's Month pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 759, s. 1996, declaring every fourth week of March as theProtection and Gender-Fair Treatment of the Girl Child Week, and Presidential Proclamation No. 744, s. 2004, declaring the last Monday of March of every year as Women with Disabilities Day.
4. The goal of the 2024 National Women's Month Celebration aims to capitalize the recurring theme, WE for Gender Equality and Inclusive Society. It also ties in with the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028, which calls for deep economic and social transformation to reinvigorate job creation and accelerate poverty reduction by steering the economy back on a high-growth path. The theme encapsulates the following elements:
a. WE stands for Women and Everyone emphasizing the role not only of women but of everyone in the pursuit of gender equality. WE also stands for Women's Empowerment which can only be achieved when agencies, mechanisms, institutions, private partners, and duty-bearers from the national down to the local level provide and ensure equal rights and opportunities, and women take these opportunities to further themselves.
b. Gender Equality. Gender equality is the first half of the Gender Equality and Women Empowerment (GEWE) advocacy, and it is the ultimate goal when we advance the rights of women. The term gender equality is also preceded by the word for, signifying our call to women and everyone to vote for, act on, and promote equality and inclusivity.
c. Inclusive Society. A society that surmounts differences in SOGIE, class, ability, generation, status, and culture; a society where every individual, each with rights and responsibilities, has an active role to play.
5. The 2024 NWMC aims to transform culture for a more equal and inclusive future with the sub-theme Lipunang Patas sa Bagong Pilipinas: Kakayahan ng Kababaihan, Patutunayan! This envisions a Philippines where women have equal opportunities and are free from gender biases and stereotypes. The goal is to showcase and utilize the full potential of women and girls in national growth. Achieving this requires eliminating discriminatory values across various institutions and establishing a legal framework supporting marginalized groups. The vision extends to government agencies incorporating gender mainstreaming, men advocating for equality, and protection for groups like the girl child, persons with disabilities, Indigenous Peoples, Muslims, and those with diverse Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression or SOGIE.
6. To promote public awareness about this celebration, all DepEd offices, including the Central, Regional, Schools Division Offices, and Schools, as well as private basic education institutions are encouraged to undertake the following activities based on PCW Memorandum Circular No. 2024-02 or the Guide for the 2024 National Women's Month Celebration:
a. NWMC-themed Flag Raising Ceremony - Incorporate NWMC-related updates during Flag Raising Ceremonies either in the last week of February or first week of March (or other applicable dates). The use of the All-Women Cast Lupang Hinirang Video in NWMC activities is highly recommended. The music video can be downloaded from https://library.pcw.gov.ph/lupang-hinirang-all-women-cast/
b. For GAD Focal Point System (GFPS) Members - Members of the GFPS with mandates relative to empowering women and girls through initiatives addressing poverty, promoting social protection systems, and sustainable infrastructure for gender equality, are invited to attend the onsite event on International Women's Day (March 8). Updates on the details will be posted on the NWMC webpage: https://pcw.gov.ph/2024-national-womens-month-celebration/.
c. GAD Forum/GAD Agenda Setting - Organize onsite, virtual, or hybrid activities that address and seek resolutions or minimization of gender issues, aligning with organizational mandates. Additionally, conduct assessments of internal gender concerns requiring prompt attention.
d. #GADtoKnow - Produce, distribute, and /or share information materials (online and print) featuring the list of gender-responsive programs and services benefiting women, as well as simplified steps and requirements to avail of such. Information materials can be accessed through this link: https://library.pcw.gov.ph.
e. Kakayahan ng Kababaihan, Patutunayan! – Redefine gender narratives through the organization of interactive activities that initiate discussions on gender equality, challenge stereotypes, and foster cultural shifts. Workshops, whether conducted onsite or online, can incorporate activities encouraging participants to reflect on their biases and engage in dialogues on collectively creating positive change through concrete actions.
f. Twenty Years of Republic Act 9262: Looking back and looking forward. This year marks the twentieth anniversary since the enactment of RA 9262, commonly known as the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children (VAWC) Act. In commemoration of its passage on March 8, 2004, activities can be organized to reflect on the substantial progress in the agency's dedication to safeguarding the rights and well-being of women and children through this legislation.
g. 2024 NWMC banner of support - Display the National Women's Month Celebration banner in front of respective offices, landmarks, and other areas and upload the digital counterpart to the agency's/ organization's official website and social media accounts.
h. #PurpleFridays or #PurpleYourlcon - Wear anything purple on all the Fridays of March to signify support for women's empowerment and gender equality. Participants can also light up or decorate offices or landmarks in purple as a celebration of women and their contribution to society as well as to serve as a springboard for discussion on the NWMC.
Ñ–. Musika ng Kababaihan Fridays (#MNKFridays) - Play the songs from the MusikJuana Songwriting Contest and other PCW advocacy songs on office premises, and even on social media every Friday of March. Get these hymns of women's empowerment https://library.pcw.gov.ph/search/?g=musikjuana.
j. Offer your own Serbisyo para kay Juana - Direct services, transactions, and products to the public can offer freebies, discounts, special lanes, and other promos to women and girls on International Women's Day (March 8) and/or other dates in March to serve as their appreciation in this special month of celebration.
k. Coordination with regional and local GAD mechanisms - Collaborate with Regional GAD Councils to organize inter-agency activities focused on enhancing the implementation and monitoring of the Magna Carta of Women and other laws pertaining to women, as well as Gender and Development (GAD) programs in their respective areas.
l. Organize activities in support of the Girl-Child Week and the Women with Disabilities Day Celebration- Everyone is encouraged to join the Girl Child Week, observed every fourth week of March, which is led by the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC), as well as the Women with Disabilities Day celebration spearheaded annually by the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA).
m. Use the official collateral designs released by PCW - Stakeholders are advised to use the standard branding design released by the PCW for the 2024 NWMC. The branding guide, standard banner, and sample collateral designs can be downloaded from: https://pcw.gov.ph/2024-national-womens-month-celebration/
n. Use the official hashtag: #WEcanbeEquALL - Share commitments and action plans for advancing genderequality and fostering an inclusive society using the official hashtag, #WEcanbeEquALL, encourages women and everyone (WE) to advocate for equality and inclusivity, ensuring that ALL individuals, irrespective of gender, ability, status, or situation, are respected and granted their rights. With this sharedbattlecry, no one should be left behind.
o. Support PCW's online advocacy - Maximize the capabilities of the digital domain by boosting online advocacy efforts, endorsing PCW's official social media accounts, and developing NWMC campaigns customized for DepEd. Utilize the 2024 NWMC Advocacy Profile Photo and Background, alongside additional online resources like the sticker pack, collaterals, and story frames. Participants are urged to highlight their virtual activities and actively participate in online discussions by employing the hashtag #WEcanbeEquALL.
DepEd-Initiated Activities
а. The Bureau of Human Resource and Organizational Development-Employee Welfare Division (BHROD-EWD) GAD Secretariat, will be conducting a series of workshops. These activities are designed to ensure that the DepEd GAD Agenda comprehensively reflects the needs and priorities of the students, teachers, and stakeholders it aims to serve. The workshops are participated by women employees in the Department, putting a premium on their contribution and ensuring their contexts are considered.
b. The External Partnerships Service-International Cooperation Office (EPS-ICO), in collaboration with the BHROD-EWD GAD Secretariat and Education Partners, aims to host a forum and side event in celebration of the 2024 IWD on March 8, 2024, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in Quezon City.
c. Everyone is encouraged to join a thought-provoking webinar scheduled for March 25, 2024, from 9:00 a.m. to 12 p.m. via Zoom which will be live-streamed in the Official Facebook and YouTube pages of DepEd Philippines. The webinar centers on the topic Transformative Justice: Towards an Increased Women Participation and Empowerment in the Basic Education Sector. This session will delve into the innovative strategies reshaping the landscape of basic education, focusing on fostering women's active involvement and empowerment. Additionally, it will explore how transformative justice principles can create a more inclusive and equitable educational environment. Save the date for an enriching dialogue and discover the path to a future where women play a central role in shaping the foundation of education.
d. Further details about specific activities scheduled for the celebration of the NWMC will be posted on the DepEd Philippines Official Facebook Page.
7. The conduct of these prescribed activities must comply with the existing provisions of DepEd Order No. 009, s. 2005 titled Instituting Measures to Increase Engaged Time-On-Task and Ensuring Compliance Therewith.
8. For the PCW-organized activities and schedules and further information on the guidelines, all concerned may visit the PCW page at https://pcw.gov.ph/2024-national-womens-month-celebration and PCW social media accounts at www.facebook.com/PCWgovph and www.twitter.com/PCWgovph.
9. For more information, please contact the Bureau of Human Resource and Organizational Development-Employee Welfare Division Gender and Development Secretariat through email at gfps.secretariat@deped.gov.ph or telephone number (02) 8633-7229.
10. Immediate dissemination of this Memorandum is desired
By Authority of the Secretary
(SGD) WILFREDO E. CABRAL
Regional Director
Officer-in-Charge, Office of the Undersecretary
For Human Resource and Organizational Development
References:
DepEd Order (No. 009, s. 2005)
DepEd Memorandum No. 017, s. 2023
To be indicated in the Perpetual Index
under the following subjects:
BUREAUS AND OFFICES
CELEBRATIONS AND FESTIVALS
EMPLOYEES
OFFICIALS
PROGRAMS
SCHOOLS
TEACHERS
A full copy of DepEd Memorandum No. 015, s. 2024 below:
0 Comments