This Women’s Month, the EU family is joining forces to call on everyone to help ensure a gender-equal world.
In line with the theme #ChoosetoChallenge, expect a cycling tour, a series of film screenings, dialogues and roundtable discussions as the EU strongly advocates for gender equity and gender equality and to highlight the role of women in all these efforts.
EU Ambassador Luc Véron said that gender equality is a core value of the European Union. “It is imperative to ensure the well-being of society and to foster economic growth, prosperity, good governance, peace and security”.
Gender mainstreaming is high on the agenda of the EU in the Philippines.
“The EU ensures that programmes implemented in the country are screened through a gender lens taking into consideration the needs of women and girls”, said Ambassador Véron. The EU works together to realize a world “where women and men, girls and boys, in all their diversity, are free to pursue their chosen path in life, have equal opportunities to thrive, and can equally participate in and lead our society”.
The new EU Gender Action Plan III has been launched end of 2020 and the EU Ambassador together with the Ambassadors of the EU member states’ embassies are committed to be gender responsive leaders and to advance the gender agenda in their work.
The plan provides the EU with a policy framework with five pillars of action for accelerating progress towards meeting international commitments and a world in which everyone has space to thrive. It makes the promotion of gender equality a priority of all external policies and actions; offers a roadmap for working together with stakeholders at national, regional and multilateral levels; steps up action in strategic thematic areas; calls for the institutions to lead by example, and; ensures the transparency of the results.
To further represent the EU in its gender advocacy and give impetus to its progressive stance on gender equality and human rights, Ambassador Saskia de Lang of the Embassy of the Netherlands assumes the role of EU Gender Champion this year.
EVENTS TO HIGHLIGHT GENDER EQUITY AND GENDER EQUALITY
On 21 March, European Union Ambassador Luc Véron and Member States’ Ambassadors, Saskia de Lang (Netherlands) who is EU Gender Champion, Michel Goffin (Belgium), Grete Sillasen (Denmark), Michèle Boccoz (France), and other diplomats will join Filipino bikers for a solidarity ride entitled: Empowering Women thru Cycling, which will run from Intramuros to Rizal Park to SM Mall of Asia.
The cycling group will do a short stop at the Binhi ng Kalayaan to highlight the important role of women who also fought for the freedom of the country. The activity is initiated by cycling advocates and women’s advocacy groups: Bikers United Movement, Life Cycles Ph, Pinay Bike Commuters Community and InThePink. This is in partnership with the Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines and the EU Member States’ Embassies, Manila and Pasay City Governments, Intramuros Administration and the National Parks and Development Committee, SM Cares and SM Mall of Asia. A culminating programme will also feature stories of seven women whose activities in their daily lives and pandemic have helped their communities.
The Delegation of the European Union (EU) to the Philippines and the Foreign Service Institute will jointly conduct a “Women in Diplomacy” webinar on 22 March from 2 to 4pm to discuss the state of play in gender equity and gender equality in diplomacy.
The EU Delegation and EU Member States will co-organise a session for journalists and editors called ‘NO JOKE! A Conversation on a Gender Fair, Inclusive, and Empowering Philippine Media’ on 29 March 29 and5 and 12 April together with Miriam College’s Women and Gender Institute.
EU MS Embassies are also working together with SPARK! Philippines for #Women2021: Women in Action, a series of roundtable discussions on important women’s issues. These include: Looking Back and Moving Forward: Women and the Pandemic (8 March 2021); The Other Woman: Women and Diversity (15 March 2021); Political Participation: Women and Governance (22 March 2021) and SPARK Conversations: Women and Feminine Health (29 March 2021).
These roundtable discussions are led by SPARK! Philippines, in partnership with the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Austrian Embassy Manila, the British Embassy Manila, the Embassy of Sweden in Manila, the Embassy of the Czech Republic in the Philippines, the German Embassy Manila, the Embassy of France to the Philippines and Micronesia, UNFPA, Philippine Commission on Women, Women Inter-Industry Network, Philippine Financial & Inter-Industry Pride, Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative, forward and other organisations.
To celebrate International Women’s Day, the Institut Français and the French Embassy present the 2021 edition of “IFCinéma à la carte,” featuring four French language films directed by women filmmakers: Angèle et Tony (Angel and Tony) by Alix Delaporte; Le beau monde (High Society) by Julie Lopes Curval; La Cour de Babel (The School of Babel) by Julie Bertuccelli and Tout est pardonné by Mia Hansen-Løve. All films are subtitled in several languages, including English, and are available for streaming free of charge until March 10, 2021 on the IFCinéma à la carte website: https://ifcinema.institutfrancais.com/en/streaming/alacarte
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