2023 National Women's Month Celebration Comes to Philippines

The 2023 National Women's Month Celebration marks a juncture in the advancement of women's rights as it launches a new recurring theme from this year to 2028: WE for gender equality and inclusive society. It sparks a renewed commitment to the advocacy and banks on the gains achieved during the 2016-2022 theme, WE Make CHANGE Work for Women, which emphasized the need for compassionate and harmonized networks towards gender equality and women's empowerment (GEWE).

The new banner for this annual campaign is both a positive affirmation and a call to action. It is a testament to the milestones achieved in closing gender gaps in the country and in gathering more support for the advocacy. The Gender Development Index (GDI), which measures gaps in achievements in three basic dimensions of human development (Health, Knowledge, and Living Standards), shows that the Philippines has been improving in the pursuit of gender equality. The country currently has a GDI value of 0.990. +0.004 points higher than in 2021. The closer the ratio is to 1, the smaller the gap between women and men in the country, placing the Philippines in Group 1, which is composed of countries with high equality in Human Development Index achievements between women and men.1 Over the years, the Philippines has been improving its GDI Value, only falling slightly in 2017 with 0.981 in comparison to 2016's 0.982. But overall, the Philippines has improved, seeing the comparison from 2009 with 0.943 and 2021 with 0.990, figures show a +0.047 difference within the period.

The recurring theme also aligns with the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028, which aims 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 plan also highlights that growth must be inclusive, building an environment that provides equal opportunities to all Filipinos and equipping them with skills to participate fully in an innovative and globally competitive economy.

Learn more about the lineup of events here.

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