Yepes: No one deserves to be a victim of violence in any forms
During the online launching of this year's 18-day campaign to end Violence Against Women (VAW) on November 26, 2020, Dr. Prose Ivy G. Yepes, Southern Leyte State University (SLSU) President, emphasized on her message the participation of SLSU in joining this campaign, saying that no one deserves to be a victim in any forms of violence as the university upholds the rights of every vulnerable sector against violence.
SLSU joins the observance of this campaign starting on November 25, 2020, to December 12, 2020. This activity is in support of the Philippine Commission on Women’s (PCW) agenda which protects the human rights of women and girls by upholding its commitment to address all forms of gender-based violence.
Spearheaded by SLSU’s Gender and Development (GAD) Office headed by Mr. Omar D. Alo, this activity is conducted based on PCW’s Memorandum Circular No. 2020-07 which aims to promote awareness and provide information on laws protecting women and girls from any forms of violence.
As part of SLSU's support in the 18-day campaign to end VAW, GAD came up with series of activities which include the distribution of information education, and communication materials, and a 3-day simultaneous reading of prayers for victim-survivors of violence against women and children (VAWC). There will also be a webinar on "Protecting SLSU Kids and Students from Online Sexual Abuse" and a gender forum on "Gender in the Time of Covid-19". Participants are encouraged to wear an orange shirt to show support in ending VAWC.
According to Dr. Juanita M. Costillas, Vice President for Executive Operations and External Affairs (VP-EOEA), the launching of the 18-day campaign to end VAW was "to help and inform SLSU academic community on the importance of these activities in support to this campaign". GAD is under the office of the VP-EOEA.
By virtue of Republic Act 10398 or the Act declaring November 25 of every year as the National Consciousness Day for the Elimination of VAWC, government agencies are mandated to raise awareness on the problem of violence and the elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls.