DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental, Feb. 22 (PIA) -- The Negros Oriental Provincial Commission on Women (PCW) has lined up activities in celebration of the upcoming National Women’s Month in March.

This year’s Women’s Month will kick off on March 2 with a Kapihan sa PIA to tackle the programs and services for women set by the provincial government and local government units as well as the laws that protect women.

With 2022 as the culminating year for the recurring theme, “We Make Change Work for Women,” the Kapihan will tackle its sub-theme for this year’s celebration, “Agenda ng Kababaihan, Tungo sa Kaunlaran.”

On March 7, there will be a flag raising ceremony where hundreds of employees from the provincial government and national government agencies are expected to attend.

Last year’s "Babayeng Garbo" winner, Archimedes Diputado from Dauin, will be the guest speaker during the ceremony.

Diputado is one of the winners of the outstanding women search who showed her contribution to the empowerment of rural women and promote gender equality in the field of livelihood program.

On March 11, the Provincial Commission on Women (PCW) has set a Gender and Development (GAD) Planning and Budgeting for 2022-2023, while on March 18, a Kapihan sa PIA will be done with Dumaguete City Social Welfare and Development Office  to promote gender equality and empowerment of women in the city.

The annual observance of Women's Month every March since 2017 aims to inspire and empower women and girls to be agents of change and to contribute in promoting gender equality and the empowerment of all women through its theme “We make change work for women.”

The PCW will also hold a series of Gender Sensitivity Trainings (GST) for local government units and the 302nd Infantry Brigade, Philippine Army.

The Office of the Governor plans to issue an executive order on “Purple Fridays” for all employees to wear purple or violet shirts every Friday in March to show support for Women’s Month. (JCT/PIA7 Negros Oriental)