Kaalaman Ko, Lakas Ko: Ph Embassy In Netherlands Hosts Women For Women Forum

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — The Embassy of the Philippines in The Hague, in cooperation with Gender Works and The StratCom Group, held a special seminar and forum in celebration of the National Women’s Month on Tuesday, March 24.

The engaging session on women’s empowerment, awareness, and action touched on the following topics:

Gender equality and women’s rights

Sexual harassment and gender-based violence

Key trends and legal developments in the Netherlands

Domestic and psychological violence

Femicide and forensic perspectives

Prevention, support systems, and available resources

Practical coaching on how to respond to misogynistic jokes, verbal harassment, and everyday sexism

Through discussion and practical exercises, participants gained tools to speak up, support one another, and help build safer and more respectful communities.

The speakers were Alexandra Ganzon, communication coach at StratCom Group, lawyer Florisa Almodiel, legal and policy director at Gender Works, and Jofelle Tesorio, TFCN senior correspondent.

Almodiel discussed the legal framework in the Netherlands, where she noticed that laws protecting women are very new, unlike in the Philippines where it long had the Magna Carta of Women (RA 9710) and the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children (RA 9262). She also talked about micro-aggressions at home and at the workplace. If not addressed, these lead to abuse and violence.

Ganzon gave a coaching session on how women can react to harrassments, or violence by way of inner exercises and speaking out.

Meanwhile, Tesorio discussed practical ways for Filipina women to protect themselves at home, on the street and in the workplace, and helping other women using her community and the by-stander protocol.

Amb. J. Eduardo Malaya, in his opening speech, lauded the women in the Filipino community and from different organisations for always standing up for their fellow Pinays, especially during distress and difficult situations. The ambassador shared a personal anecdote about former diplomat Leticia Ramos-Shahani who was a prime mover in the drafting and the negotiation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

The forum participants committed to follow-through by concrete actions such as continued and renewed support for women, especially migrant women. The organisers, along with participants, are planning to draft a resource, which is context-specific to the Netherlands, that will guide all Filipino women where to seek help, what to do and other practical information to detect, prevent and act against violence against women.