Women are potent agents of change in our society.

Thus, real change can only be achieved when

all genders work hand in hand to foster an environment that is inspiring to everyone.

This is the highlight of the National Women’s Month Celebration 2017 to 2022 which carries the
theme “We Make Change Work for Women.”

Led by the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), the National Women’s Month annual
celebration is infused with activities that aim to inspire and empower women of all ages to
achieve gender equality.

The National Women’s Month coincides with the celebration of the International Women’s Day
on March 8.

Below is the list of all activities for this month’s celebration:

Sidlak, Region VII Gender Resource Center, clarified the National Women’s Month Celebration theme:
“WE Make Change Work for Women” to its members: representatives from the government agencies,
non-government organizations and the academe. “WE stands for Women Empowerment.”

This “enables them to confidently and meaningfully engage with appropriate institutions to ensure that
they contribute to and benefit from development and changes. Women’s empowerment will make the
change that we are espousing or any development effort responsive to women’s concerns.”

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WE “emphasizes our collective effort, collaboration and participation to ensure that women will
not be left behind in the pursuit of change. This also stresses that “women should be active
drivers in bringing about positive changes; and that they should also reap from development
efforts.”

Make Change Work = MCW = Magna Carta of Women “Making change work for women
necessitates strengthening the implementation of the MCW.

Functional mechanisms must be put in place; citizens must be informed regarding the programs
and services that address strategic gender needs of women.”
CHANGE stands for “Compassionate and Harmonized Actions and Networks for Gender
Equality.”

The Agenda Ni Juana Crowdsourcing Survey revealed that women considered as a priority:
“Improved information dissemination on government programs and services for realizing
equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.”

So this women’s month, it is hoped that more women will be informed and involved in
promoting “citizen-centric governance”; “platforms to discuss good practices, gaps, challenges,
and commitments in pursuing gender and development will be facilitated”; so that women and
girls “will be inspired and empowered to be agents of change.”

For these objectives, the following activities have been proposed: “production and distribution of
IEC materials”; government agencies and local government units have been encouraged to
prepare their own materials “featuring their GAD programs and services that can be accessed by
women.”

Reports on accomplishments should respond to: “How does the agency/LGU make change work
for women? What are programs and services that can be accessed by women clients? The
benefits received by citizens should be showcased. The use of local languages has been
encouraged.”

“Serbisyo Para kay Juana” — the Philippine Commission on Women “enjoins government
agencies, local government units, and other organizations to make available services and treats
for women on March 8, International Women’s Day.”

History shows that developments marginalized women; the local midwife was marginalized by
the modernization of medicine. Until recently, women’s crafts and unique food preparation skills
have been pushed to the periphery. We commit ourselves to vigilance that ensures that the talents
and needs of women will always be part of the consideration as our nation progresses
technologically.

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women#ixzz5n0yunSYa
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The world of work is changing fast, through innovation, increasing mobility and informality. But
it needs to change faster to empower women, whose work has already driven many of the global
gains in recent decades.

Women still predominantly occupy jobs that pay less and provide no benefits. They earn less
than men, even as they shoulder the enormous—and economically essential—burden of unpaid
care and domestic work.
Realizing women’s economic empowerment requires transformative change so that prosperity is
equitably shared and no one is left behind. The international community has made this
commitment in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Every woman should enjoy her right to decent work. As a global champion for gender equality
and women’s empowerment, UN Women asks: What do we need to get there?

It doesn’t matter where they work or what they do. Women globally are paid less than men
for the same work.

Why does the gender pay gap persist? In many countries, disparities in education have begun to
close. But that’s not enough to knock down gender-based discrimination in the world of work. It
keeps women out of some jobs and segregates them into others—often the lowest paying ones.

Many constraints stem from balancing paid work and family responsibilities. Inflexible working
hours and limited parental leave are among the factors forcing women into part-time
employment or even out of the workforce for long stretches. Some countries still mandate
women to retire earlier than men.

What can we do? Call for passing and enforcing laws and regulations upholding the principle of
equal pay for work of equal value. Ensure that businesses do their part to close the gender pay
gap.

Record numbers of women are being paid for work. But labour force participation rates
lag those of men.

Three-quarters of working-age men are in the labour force, compared to half of women, and in
some regions, young women are unemployed at much higher rates than young men.

These gaps suggest that not all women who want to work can do so. Some are discouraged by
gender bias. Others find no way of surmounting barriers, such as the lack of parental leave, and
child and dependent care. Whatever the cause, women have a right to participate equally. The
economics are compelling too—a potential boost of 28 trillion USD to global annual GDP by
2025.

What can we do? Enact paid parental leave and flexible work policies, provide child care, and
encourage public and private employers to aim for gender parity at all levels of hiring.

Women make a huge economic contribution that fills gaps in services. Why is it unshared
and uncounted?

Cooking, cleaning, caring for children and the elderly—economies depend on such work, valued
at between 10 and 39 per cent of GDP. It can contribute more to an economy than manufacturing
or commerce.
Unpaid care and domestic work fills gaps in public services and infrastructure—and are largely
provided by women. That’s
an unfair burden and an unfair barrier to equal labour force participation and pay. Reducing these
requires shifting norms around who does this work, and investing in decent, paid work in the
care economy.

What can we do? Pass policies that reduce and redistribute unpaid work, such as through more
paid jobs in the care economy, and encourage men to share care and domestic work. Invest in
systems to provide water, electricity, transportation and other essentials that reduce household
labour.

Far too many women labour in informal work with little pay or protection of their rights.

Gender discrimination unfairly concentrates women in jobs as street vendors, domestic workers
and subsistence farmers, among other informal occupations. For women with few skills or
knowledge of their rights, or who have migrated to another country, informal jobs may be the
only option to earn a living.

Informal employment typically is poorly paid. Falling outside the reach of labour laws, it can be
unsafe and bereft of social benefits, such as pensions, sick pay and health insurance. Globally, 57
per cent of domestic workers have no limitations on their working hours.

What can we do? Extend social protection and minimum living wages, promote the transition to
formal employment in line with ILO Recommendation No. 204, and ratify ILO Convention 189
on Domestic Workers.

Work is rapidly transforming. Ending occupational segregation must be part of the shift.

Technology and the greening of economies provide new opportunities for women in the world of
work. But gaps need to be closed, with women over-represented in lower-paid jobs and under-
represented in leadership positions, and in science and technology. Half the global working
population is in the service sector, dominated by women; their share reaches as high as 77 per
cent in East Asia.

Gender barriers in work are embedded in discriminatory laws, social norms and policies. Trade
policies may take advantage of a cheap female workforce, for instance. Fiscal policy may limit
spending on services that could help women better balance work and family.

What can we do? Take urgent policy action to eliminate barriers that discriminate against
women workers. Provide education and training for women that open opportunities for women in
the changing world of work.

ORGANIZING: IT’S A WOMAN’S RIGHT

The nature of women’s work often keeps them outside the reach of labour organizing and union
protections.
Women’s ability to organize in workplaces and communities is indispensable for upholding
labour rights. Women’s collective voice is a pathway to ensuring decent work, and to influencing
public policy priorities. In trade unions, women members have driven achievements in
organizing and collective bargaining, including among highly vulnerable groups such as
domestic workers.

Yet many barriers remain to the right to organize, including repressive laws. Women working
part-time or isolated in homes may have fewer opportunities to learn about, form or join
protective networks, self-help groups or organizations such as unions.

What can we do? Aim for gender parity in decision-making positions in trade unions, worker
and employer organizations and corporate boards. Urge governments, employers and organized
workers to jointly promote the human and labour rights of all women workers.

STOP HARASSMENT AT WORK!

Violence against women is a violation of their rights. In the workplace, it imposes high
costs.

Going to work presents risks of violence and harassment for women across all ages, incomes and
job types. A boss may link advancement to sexual favours. A taxi cab might become a source of
income and a risk for rape.

The consequences are many. Damages to physical and mental health can lead to absenteeism,
lower earnings and job loss. Women may feel unfairly constricted in their choice of employment
or freedom of movement.

What can we do? Enact and implement laws and policies to criminalize all forms of workplace
harassment and gender-based violence. Work with unions, employers and advocates for informal
workers so all women know their rights and can seek redress for violations.

EQUALITY IN LAWS AND BENEFITS

Discriminatory legal provisions and social protection gaps increase the chance that women
will live in poverty.

Only 67 countries have laws against gender discrimination in hiring practices, while at least 155
have one or more gender-based legal restrictions on women’s employment and entrepreneurship.
Discriminatory laws and inadequate legal protection compound gender inequalities and
disempower women workers.

Women also lack social protection benefits—they are over- represented among the 73 per cent of
people with only partial or no access to pensions, unemployment compensation and even health
insurance. This renders them more vulnerable to poverty—on top of earning less than men.
What can we do? Remove all discriminatory labour legislation in line with CEDAW. Enact
well-designed social protection schemes that reduce poverty and reach all women, including
those who are working, retired or providing unpaid care.

ECONOMIES THAT WORK FOR WOMEN WORK FOR

ALL
The future envisioned for humanity and our shared planet, across all of the 17 Sustainable
Development Goals, rests on fully freeing women’s power and potential. It is time to act on the
high ambitions of the 2030 Agenda and guarantee that every woman can thrive and contribute,
including through decent, dignified work.

The Changing Experience of Women Through History

Throughout history, women have had very different experiences at different times. Some past
societies had women who were warriors, powerful priestesses, and political leaders. At other
times strict expectations have been placed on women, with (male) writers portraying them as
inferior to men.

Looking at how a society treats its women can be very enlightening. An investigation into the
position of women at different points in history shows us how our society has grown and
changed.

Often we think of history developing in a straight line. Women enjoy a better level of equality in
present-day Western societies than at any time in history that we know of. Unfortunately, the
further back in history you go, the less equality women have had. However, the truth is not so
simple. In fact, women through history have gained and lost power at different times.

We can also remember that in many parts of the world today, women do not enjoy equal
opportunities to earn, participate in politics or get an education. They can face gender-based
violence and discrimination. Progress is not inevitable - we need to take action to ensure women
have a life of dignity and fairness.

Women in Ancient Times

Surprisingly perhaps, ancient history records many strong female figures - rulers and warriors
who did deeds the history-writers thought worthy of recording. Cleopatra, Boudicca, Esther.
Their names echo down history to the present day.

The first poem written down, which has survived to the present day, was written by a women
called Enheduanna. She was a priestess in Sumerian civilisation and her poem is a prayer of
praise to a female deity called Innana. So, the first known author was a woman - very interesting
given that in later times women were discouraged from writing and even from learning to read!
The impact of Greco-Roman culture was significant. Within the Roman empire, for example,
women had a role defined by staying at home and staying out of politics. The Greeks may have
invented democracy but they didn't give women the vote. However, in other parts of the ancient
world, women played a significant historical role.

In the Celtic culture of Gaul (now France) and the British Isles, women fought as warriors
alongside their men. What they may have lacked in physical strength, they are said to have made
up for in the fierceness of their attacks. Boudicca, a British Celtic queen who fought against the
roman invaders of her country is a prime example of how a woman at this time could be a
political and military leader.

Women and the Church in Medieval Europe

In the early Christian church, there is evidence that women could hold positions of influence
equal to men. This was particularly true of followers of Gnostic Christianity in the first and
second centuries AD who had female bishops among their communities. As sensationalised in
the Da Vinci Code, there are indications that Mary Magdalene was once a significant religious
leader - on a par with Peter and the other apostles. An apocryphal gospel of Mary Magdalene
was discovered in the late nineteenth century in Egypt - only an important religious figure would
have a gospel named after them.

But all this was to change. In the fourth and fifth centuries AD, there was a systematic degrading
of women in the writings of the 'Church Fathers'. Writers such as Tertullian. Saint Augustine and
Saint Jerome vented bitter spleen against women - women were weak and hysterical and open to
temptations they said, women's hair should be covered as it was the work of the devil, men stood
between women and God in the hierarchy of the universe ... on and on they wrote. It was these
church fathers who blamed Eve for the downfall of humanity, and by extension all women,
everywhere.

Their writings seem to have had a huge impact. Even today, women cannot be priests in the
Catholic church which has followed on from these early traditions.

The treatment of women in Medieval medicine also shows how women have been put down
through history. Women had traditionally been herbal healers, and their wisdom was very
valuable in a world without modern medicine. Often they gave their help to friends and
neighbours freely, or in exchange for small items.

As the middle ages wore on, men began to muscle in on what had traditionally been the realm of
women. Apothecaries, barber-surgeons, alchemists and doctors began to compete with herbal
cures. Doctors dismissed these herbal remedies as quackery, in favour of their own practices
which frankly were a lot less effective - blood-letting, leeches, balancing humours and suchlike.
They also charged large sums of money for their 'help'. Eventually, it became illegal to practise
medicine at all without having studied at university, and guess what? Medieval universities did
not admit women! This persecution culminated in accusations of witchcraft and the mass-
burnings of women accused of witchcraft in the 1600s.
At the same time the new male doctors had some interesting perspectives to give on women's
health. They regarded women as prone to 'hysteria' (this word comes from the latin word for
womb), and 'lunacy' (they linked madness to the phases of the moon, and by extension to the
female menstrual cycle). Their diagrams of conception showed women as passive empty vessels
that merely hosted the male seed - it wasn't until the 1900s that medical science recognised that
women provide 50% of DNA in the creation of a baby!

Women in Modern History

Modern History is generally seen as beginning in the late 1500s with the Renaissance. While the
Renaissance artists painted beautiful female nudes, the Renaissance did not seem to greatly affect
women's historical experience. If anything, women's role became more deeply defined as the
homemaker and nothing else.

Across Europe, women could not vote, were strongly discouraged from owning a business and
had many fewer property rights than men. Young aristocratic women were often forced into
political marriages where all their property transferred to their husband and they were effectively
trapped. Strict expectations of women's chastity prevailed, and women who broke the rules were
punished as criminals and social exiles.

It is only really in the twentieth century that women have made such gains in equality that it is
nothing short of revolutionary. Women's groups such as the Suffragettes campaigned
successfully for women to be granted the right to vote - in most countries this had happened by
1930. The two world wars showed that women could take men's place in factories, that they
could work outside the home as well as within it and that they could contribute to the economy.

After WWII many women were reluctant to go back to their previous lives. They had enjoyed
the camaraderie and sense of purpose of the factories. So much so that the fifties saw a backlash
- the media and advertisers at this time emphasise a strongly traditional female role and the value
of passive behavious such as 'keeping your man happy' and 'putting his needs first'.

The feminist revolution of the sixties and seventies went on to change women's experience
forever. While full equality has now been reached it is now natural to see female politicians,
doctors, business leaders, and writers. It seems crazy now that a woman could be dismissed as
automatically dumber than a man, or that a woman could be barred from a profession because of
her gender (Catholic priesthood notwithstanding!).

At the end of the day what is important is that women have a choice about how they want to be,
and behave and how they spend their time. Women through history have not always had that
choice - often society has placed strict controls on them. We owe a debt of gratitude the women
who went before us and changed the rules forever.
It is important because history helps you understand the past to predict the future and help in creating
it. Studying history gives us wide opportunities to get better understanding of our past experiences to
count on the great achievements and avoid the horrific mistakes.

SPOT.ph) McDonald’s has pulled out its ad dubbed by some as the "BF-GF commercial," after the
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) called for them to stop airing the ad, reports
Inquirer.net.

The giant fast food chain decided to pull out the 30-second ad from major television networks yesterday
after some Catholic Church officials said it could send the wrong message to children. In the commercial,
a little girl asks a boy if she was already his girlfriend. The boy says no, claiming girlfriends are too
demanding. However, he seemingly changes his mind when the girl says all she wants is the P25 French
fries at McDonald’s.

McDonald’s Philippines Vice President for Marketing Margot Torres told Radio Veritas that they have
pulled out the ad because they respect the call of Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez. "So by
(Wednesday), a different McDonald’s ad should be seen on TV," Torres said.

In response, Iñiguez told Radio Veritas, "We are very happy that McDonald’s listened to our plea, (and)
that it agrees with the sentiment and the reflection of the church on the commercial spot."

Earlier, Fr. Melvin Castro said the commercial is "very shallow" and "cheapens human relationships,"
reports Inquirer.net. The executive secretary of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Family and Life said,
"If the ad attempted to teach commitment, (it failed) because it was too superficial to point to a packet
of French fries as the basis of a relationship."

Iñiguez also said earlier, "The two children are not even at the right age for this kind of relationship... It
(the ad) might also pave the way for us to lose sight of the good ways of shaping the values of our
children."

While most viewers could smile watching the McDonald’s 30-second ad commonly called as the
“BF-GF Commercial’’, the giant fast food chain decided to stop airing it on Philippine television
since it became a controversial issue for the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines
(CBCP).

he officials of the CBCP appealed that the said commercial may present a wrong message to the
viewers especially to the children. The latest McDonald’s commercial saddened them.
Giant television networks stopped airing it since McDonald’s pulled out the said advertisement
on Tuesday night.

The vice president for marketing of McDonald’s Philippines, Margot Torres, proclaimed through
a radio station that the BF-GF Commercial was pulled out Tuesday from GMA-7 at around
noontime while its rival ABS-CBN stopped airing it at 6 p.m.

With respect to the request of the CBCP officials, specifically to the Bishop of Caloocan,
Deogracias Iñiguez, McDonald’s company made a decision to get rid of their 30-second TV
commercial from giant networks airing in the Philippines according to Torres. Moreover, she
stated that the old commercial will be aired instead.

Torres added that the public will be able to see the previous McDonald’s ad on TV as a
replacement for the BF-GF Commercial.

Bishop Iñiguez on the other hand was then pleased when the said announcement have been made. He
expressed gratitude to the decision that was brought by the said fast food company since they were able
to give consideration to the views of the Catholic Church on teaching the values centering the family.

The latest McDonald’s commercial became controversial for its scene which showed a young
girl asking a boy at her age if she could be his girlfriend. Knowing that the girl may demand a lot
of things, the little boy replied that he was not ready for what the girl had asked. Meanwhile, the
boy agreed when she told him that all she ever wanted was only the P25 French fries.

Another member of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Family and Life, Fr. Melvin Castro,
added his view that the mentioned McDonald’s ad had been very shallow. He said that it
cheapened human relationships as well.

McDonald's pulls out "BF-GF" Commercial

I knew it. It was me and my friend, Lexlly, who were discussing about this cute McDonald's television
advertisement called the "BF-GF Commercial."

It was a commercial where a little girl asks a little boy if she was already her girlfriend. The boys says no
because according to him, girlfriends want these and that. In short, girlfriends are demanding. But the
little boy changed his mind when the girl says that she only wants McDo fries.

Almost everyone finds it cute, even I. A lot of posts, tweets in different social networking sites about the
tv ad and some positive reviews and comments made it more popular to the public. But as what I said to
my friend, there are some "not-so-good values" that children may acquire upon seeing this advertisement.
And just yesterday, I've read this news on yahoo news:
________________________________________________________________________

McDonald's pulls out "BF-GF commercial" after CBCP called for them to stop airing ad

(SPOT.ph) McDonald's has pulled out its ad dubbed by some as the "BF-GF commercial," after the Catholic
Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) called for them to stop airing the ad, reports Inquirer.net.

The giant fast food chain decided to pull out the 30-second ad from major television networks yesterday
after some Catholic Church officials said it could send the wrong message to children. In the commercial,
a little girl asks a boy if she was already his girlfriend. The boy says no, claiming girlfriends are too
demanding. However, he seemingly changes his mind when the girl says all she wants is the P25 French
fries at McDonald's.

McDonald's Philippines Vice President for Marketing Margot Torres told Radio Veritas that they have
pulled out the ad because they respect the call of Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez. "So by (Wednesday),
a different McDonald's ad should be seen on TV," Torres said.

In response, Iñiguez told Radio Veritas, "We are very happy that McDonald's listened to our plea, (and)
that it agrees with the sentiment and the reflection of the church on the commercial spot."

Earlier, Fr. Melvin Castro said the commercial is "very shallow" and "cheapens human relationships,"
reports Inquirer.net. The executive secretary of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Family and Life said, "If
the ad attempted to teach commitment, (it failed) because it was too superficial to point to a packet of
French fries as the basis of a relationship."

Iñiguez also said earlier, "The two children are not even at the right age for this kind of relationship... It
(the ad) might also pave the way for us to lose sight of the good ways of shaping the values of our children."

For more on this story, log on to Inquirer.net.

________________________________________________________________________

As what I've said, intentionally or unintentionally, there really are "not-so-good values" that children may
acquire from the said commercial. Advertisements, especially those that are being aired in national
television, must have the right values for children. Yes, it is cute and unique and nobody can protest on
that note. On the other hand, advertisers must be responsible in doing advertisements because of the
values that they may lay to the children.

Dear McDonald's, I love your commercials and I love your fries and float. I salute you for listening to
CBCP and instantly responding to their plea. It is for the children's sake, I know that you understand
that. I am looking forward to your next television ad! :)
1 comment:

1.

AnonymousApril 20, 2011 at 2:26 PM

I find it stupid enough that there are some people who impose their own stupidity to other
people. I believe that children at their somehow very young age have their own capacity
to think and somehow judge between right and wrong conducts by means of whatsoever
values their parents have implanted in their own children's minds. If there are unruly and
misbehaved children out there, the daring TV Commercials, violence-inspired TV
programs, and sexy movies are not to blame. Think about this, who could the children
possibly look up to, Sid Lucero 'fucking' Erich Gonzales on the TV, or their own parents
fucking in front of them flagrante delicto?

If we always insist on portraying only the good and the beautiful for the sake of our
children, we might as well be raising lobotomized and deeply prejudiced children.
Sometimes, or rather everyday, irony is what we needed in this irony-challenged society.