MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur -- Six Bangsamoro women advocates from various sectors in the region were granted P20,000 each and a plaque of honor during the Search for Bangsamoro Advocates 2022 awarding ceremony held in Cotabato City on Monday, March 28.

The Search recognizes the great contributions of women in the community, family, and for being a role model to everyone.

It is part of the Women’s Month celebration in the region, spearheaded by the Office of the Chief Minister (OCM), Bangsamoro Women Commission (BWC), and some members of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Parliament.

To equally represent the different provinces of BARMM, the board of judges included BWC Chairperson Bainon Karon and BTA Deputy Speaker Omar Yasser Sema for Maguindanao, Members of the Parliament (MP) Diamila Ramos and Maisarah Damdamun-Latiph for Lanao del Sur, and MPs Eddie Ali and Raissa Jajurie for the island provinces of Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi.

The awardees were advocating education, gender and development (GAD), internally displaced persons (IDPs), children, youth, and the environment. They are Dr. Anna Zenaida Unte Alonto for education, Hadja Nabiha Noni Lao from Marawi City for gender and development, Prof. Dalomabi Bula for IDPs, Dr. Shahera Lucman for children, Nairah Mindalano Tambir for youth, and Shri Tahanie Macaumbao for environment.

“I am proud that a lot of our women today are working hard to make a significant change in their communities while performing domestic roles in their homes,” said BWC Chairperson Karon.

“Women have significant roles in development and governance at all levels. They played critical roles in settling conflict and fostering peace. They greatly contribute to the economy and the labor force,” she added.

Meanwhile, for BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim, the National Women’s Month celebration without be complete without recognizing the contribution of the women.

“Today is their time to have the spotlight of appreciation be shone on them. These are just a few of the thousands of very exceptional women who made an immense contribution and are continuously contributing to the development of our society. May these winners that we are awarding today be set as role models of our young women and girls of our future,” Ebrahim said. (Myrna Tepadan/BIO)