Southerners join together in women empowerment campaign

COTABATO CITY - More than a hundred peace activists from three Bangsamoro provinces converged here on Monday and fused ranks for multi-sector regional women empowerment efforts that two foreign benefactors are to help push forward.

About a hundred women involved in public service participated in Monday’s “We Resolve” women empowerment forum here, organized together by two foreign benefactors, the Relief International, the German Cooperation and local counterparts Balay Mindanao and the Bangsamoro regional government.

Participants to the forum - Muslims, Christians and indigenous people - have pledged to cooperate with the women empowerment programs of the four entities.

Forum speakers, all of them women occupying key positions in the government, peace advocacy organizations and in the Islamic religious community, talked lengthily about the need for women to get involved in governance, in peacebuilding activities and in local community development initiatives.

Norhaya Grande, a peace advocate in the Basak Malutlut area in Marawi City, the Islamic theologian Anisa Arab of the Noorus Sallam National Women’s Council, Pinky Doronilla of the Tukanalipao Women’s Organization in Mamasapano in Maguindanao del Sur and a member of the 80-seat Bangsamoro parliament, the lawyer Tarhata Maglangit, took turns lecturing about the need for women to play key roles in peace and security, governance and humanitarian activities.

“It is the mothers who teach children in their families to become peace advocates in their own rights. Meaning? Mothers can be good, efficient peacebuilders in the local communities,” Arab, a preacher, told participants to the forum.

Ethnic non-Moro Teduray women from Maguindanao del Norte who participated in the dialogues during the day-long gathering had assured the Relief International and the German Cooperation of their support for programs aiming to empower women from the Muslim, Christian and indigenous communities in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Two information officers in the communications team of the 80-seat BARMM parliament, Jamalea Benito and Sheila Malik had separately said they appreciate the forum, for them essential in fostering peace and sustainable development in all provinces and cities in the Bangsamoro region.

The Indian Vrinda Dar, who is Relief International’s country director for the Philippines, said she is thankful to the BARMM government and different organizations that had manifested intention to get involved in women empowerment activities in the local communities.

Aileen Kesa Marie Hualde, executive director of the Women’s Organization of Rajah Mamalu Descendants, said they will encourage Teduray local executives to embark on women empowerment projects to complement the programs for the sector of the Relief International, the German Cooperation, the Balay Mindanao and the Bangsamoro government.