This October 2019, SPARK! Philippines, in pursuit of the protection of women’s rights and the promotion of gender equality, in collaboration with the Office of the City Mayor of Quezon City, supported by the Embassy of the Netherlands in the Philippines, Embassy of Sweden in Manila, J. Amado Araneta Foundation, and Terre des Hommes, will be holding a series of celebrations for girls throughout the entire month.
“Through these initiatives, we can act as a partner alongside other organisations in order to tackle problems and address women’s needs more effectively while engaging men to advocate for women’s issues.” SPARK! Executive Director, Maica Teves said.
One of the organization’s flagship initiatives is the yearly celebration of the International Day of the Girl (IDG) which is observed every 11th of October. Created in 2012 by the United Nations, IDG aims to highlight and address the needs and challenges girls face, while promoting their empowerment and the fulfillment of their human rights. Since 2014, SPARK! has partnered with numerous institutions from public and private sectors and civil society organizations to celebrate IDG.
The IDG 2019 celebration aims to bring into conversation the needs and issues faced by girls, including recognition of girls’ rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world. Even up to this day, women and young girls in the Philippines, and all over the world, face social, economic, and political barriers that hinder them from realizing their full potential. This celebration will highlight the importance of social, economic, and political investment in the power of adolescent girls in breaking the intergenerational transmission of poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination, and in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
This celebration which will be at the Gateway Cinema aims to gather high school and college students from public and private schools in Quezon City and expose them issues that girls in developing countries face through a forum with an esteemed panel of speakers. Key topics include, girls in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), empowerment through sports, overcoming barriers, and taking the lead.
“This year, as we believe that breaking these barriers begins with exposing the youth to the inequalities that women and girls face in all parts of the globe, SPARK! has decided to celebrate girls not just for a day, but throughout the month, pioneering the Girls’ Month Celebration through more initiatives for women and girls.” Maica Teves added.
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