Long known as the color of prisoners’ uniforms, orange now stands for freedom, especially among women who became victims of violence.
On Friday, around 3,000 people in orange shirts from different government and private organizations kicked off the first day of the 18-Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.
The event coincided with National Consciousness Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Children which is marked on Nov. 25.
In a statement, the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) said it was adopting the color from the United Nation’s Unite to End Violence Against Women campaign. As a bright and optimistic color, orange represents the hope and future of women free from violence.
PCW Chair Rhodora Bucoy read the message of President Duterte, saying the government was committed to work toward ending gender-based violence in the country.
Vice President Leni Robredo, on the other hand, said that to counter violence, women should have control of the household finances.
Based on her experience as a lawyer for many women who were victims of violence in Camarines Sur, Robredo said that many of them did not file charges against their husbands who were the breadwinners in their families.
“A woman who is worried about feeding her children will rather bear the pain of her husband’s abuse than leave the source of livelihood and sustenance,” Robredo said.
She added that gender equality and women empowerment should be approached from the lens of livelihood and economic options for women.