PH Consulate General in Calgary Holds Stronger Together Workshop: 18-Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women

CALGARY 18 December 2024 – The Philippine Consulate General (PCG) in Calgary capped off the 18-Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women (VAW) through the Stronger Together Workshop held on 7 December 2024. PCG personnel and Filipino Community women-leaders participated and joined the workshop. 

Wearing orange as part of the “Orange the World,” campaign that ran from 25 November 2024 to 12 December 2024, the PCG joined the nation with activities aligned with the 2022-2027 recurring campaign theme, “UNiTEd for a VAW-free Philippines.” Its 2024 sub-theme, “VAW Bigyang Wakas, Ngayon na ang Oras!” was also in line with the commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Anti-VAWC Act of 2004 (RA 9262).

Consul General Emma R. Sarne opened the workshop with her message on highlighting collaborative efforts to foster a VAW-free society. She spoke about the Anti-VAW Roadmap geared towards raising awareness, prevention,and providing  support services for survivors.

Afterwards, Mr. Andrew Haddad of Starmanship & Associates, began the workshop by introducing concepts on family foundations and the psychological basis for breaking negative patterns and replacing them with positive ones for better outcomes. Mr. Haddad, a leadership and team-building consultant, used technology-based games for the lessons on changing mindsets to develop empathy, practice kindness, and make a commitment to end VAW.

Workshop participants gamely volunteered for the hands-on demonstrations and motivated their group mates to speak up about their personal experiences. 

During the group presentations, the Filipino Community leaders wrote down their inputs, as a result of the sharing session to synthesize their learnings at the end of the workshop.

Workshop participants gamely volunteered for the hands-on demonstrations and motivated their group mates to speak up about their personal experiences. 

Consul General Sarne lead the discussion of her group and shared her insights with the other participants, including her own realizations about the lessons imparted during the workshop. 

In addition to the workshop proper, the Gender and Development (GAD) Focal Point and the Assistant GAD Focal Point of the PCG prepared Primers on the Anti-VAW laws and the Safe Spaces Act. Workshop participants were encouraged to read the Primers and these were also displayed at the GAD Corner inside the Consular Area of the PCG. END

For more information, visit https://www.calgarypcg.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/PHinCalgary/.