[HERSTORY] House Bill No. 5453 was approved by House Committee on Women and Gender Equality

On November 29, we celebrate International Women Human Rights Defenders Day. Women human rights defenders are women who defend human rights, and all persons who defend the rights of women, girls and LGBTQIA+ persons.

Several human rights defenders and organizations declared November 29 as the International Day on Women Human Rights Defenders during the anniversary of the opening of the First International Consultation on Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRDs) in 2005. 

Since 2006, International WHRDs has been celebrated. States’ international commitments to protect the rights of WHRDs to promote and protect human rights stretch back even further to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966), the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (1979) and crucially, the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders (1998). 

In the Philippines, women and human rights organizations commemorate the day by articulating positions on violations on the rights of women human rights defenders for the government to address and resolve. 

However, human rights violations are increasing and continue to plague the country. This is happening despite the government's avowal of respecting and protecting them, these rights being enshrined in 1986 Philippine Constitutions and several other international covenants that Philippines signed and ratified. As a result, many individuals and human rights advocates coming from various sectors have emerged to defend, protect and advance the cause of human rights in the Philippines. 

BAYAN MUNA Partylist House Representatives Carlos Isagani "Kaloi" Tabora Zarate recently filed a bill to commemorate November 29 as National Consciousness Day on Women Human Rights Defenders Day and got approval from House Committee on Women and Gender Equality., The bill aims to promote the importance of respecting and defending human rights in the country through educational activities that focus on human rights, gender and development issues and how to become a human rights defender.