11/12/2025
"Violence against women and girls remains one of the most pervasive and deeply entrenched human rights violations globally. It is a manifestation of systemic gender inequality, reinforced by harmful social norms, discrimination, and imbalanced power dynamics that continues to place women and girls at risk. Globally, nearly 1 in 3 womenโan approximately 736 million women aged 15 and olderโhave experienced physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime, often at the hands of an intimate partner. Alarmingly, more than 640 million women have endured intimate violence. The effects are far-reaching, leading to profound and lasting impacts on womenโs mental, physical, and reproductive health. In 2023 alone, an estimated 51,100 women and girls were killed by intimate partners or family membersโaveraging 140 deaths per dayโa tragic indicator of the urgency for systemic and sustained action.
In the Philippines, while progress has been made in advancing gender equality, violence against women remains a serious and ongoing concern. According to the 2022 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), 18% of ever-married women aged 15 to 49โhave experienced physical, sexual, or emotional violence from a partner. This equates to about 4.8 million Filipinasโeach representing a voice that must not be silenced. These troubling statistics continue to emerge even as the Philippines is recognized as the most gender-equal country in Asia by the World Economic Forumโs Global Gender Gap Report.
Since 2003, the Philippines has stood in solidarity with the global 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, which was institutionalized nationally through Republic Act No. 10398. In 2006, the country extended its annual observance to 18 days, from November 25 (International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women) to December 12 (International Day Against Trafficking and the signing anniversary of the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons) through Proclamation No. 1172.
The 18-Day Campaign to End VAW has evolved into a nationwide unifying platform for advocacy, policy advancement, and community engagement. For 2025, the Campaign highlights the need for a whole-of-nation approachโcalling on every Filipinoโregardless of gender, age, or background, to actively speak up, take action to prevent violence, support survivors, promote justice and push for meaningful change. Ending VAW is a collective responsibility that calls on all of us to stand with women and girls in building a safer and more inclusive Bagong Pilipinas."
https://pcw.gov.ph/2025-18-day-campaign-to-end-violence-against-women/
As part of our commitment to promoting safety, respect, equality, and the protection of human rights, Naruron Elementary School proudly joins the nationwide observance of the 2025 18-Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women. The school stands in solidarity with all women and girls, raising awareness and advocating for a community where everyone feels safe, valued, and empowered.