Greetings from GABRIELA National Alliance of Women!
GABRIELA celebrates its 25th anniversary this year with a series of activities to commemorate its 25 years of empowering women. GABRIELA, since its establishment in 1984, consistently fought to advance women’s rights and eliminate all forms of violence against women (VAW) by launching campaigns on VAW. Gabriela had also advocated for legislative reforms, especially with the entry of its political party, Gabriela Women’s Party, in Congress. Gabriela’s campaigns are always complemented by direct-service work including counseling and training on paracounseling and paralegal work for women’s organizations.
GABRIELA is dedicated to fight poverty, injustice and violence against women. From counseling to organizing, from advocacy to campaigns, GABRIELA aims to put marginalized women at the helm of their lives and livelihoods. Women power is our only tool.
The celebration of our silver anniversary kicked off with the commemoration of International Women’s Day last March 8 and participated in by 10,000 women all over the Philippines. This was followed by Pagdiriwang at Pasasalamat last March 11, 2009, an ecumenical service celebrating the GABRIELA foundation day and honoring our founding chairperson Mita Pardo de Tavera and the women before us who offered their lives for the cause of women’s rights and welfare. In April, we also launched the i-Vow Campaign, our anniversary campaign and commitment to fight for women’s rights.
Still part of our celebration, GABRIELA will hold its 10th Congress on October 25-27 to celebrate our anniversary year with the women of GABRIELA from all over the Philippines and also from our overseas chapters. The assembly will highlight our triumphs and tackle responses to challenges posed by the current economic and political crisis in the country.
GABRIELA will also host the 25th Anniversary Grand Reunion on October 28, the National Filipino Women’s Day of Protest. October 28, 1983 saw the first biggest rally of ten thousand women that challenged the Marcos dictatorship and led to the founding of GABRIELA. This year, 2009, we are reminded of the spirit of the first People Power with the death of President Corazon C. Aquino who herself was an important figure in the Filipino people’s fight against the Marcos dictatorship.
In this light we seek your help to raise funds in support of GABRIELA’s National Congress on October 25-27 and the GABRIELA 25th Anniversary Grand Reunion. We hope to gather 50 delegates from Luzon, 50 delegates from the Visayas, 50 delegates from Mindanao,and 150 delegates from various districts in major cities and municipalities in the National Capital Region.
We hope you can help us further our cause toward more years of empowering women. You can be sure the resources you donate will make a difference not only to GABRIELA but more so to women whom we seek to serve. By supporting these activities, you will definitely be of great help to GABRIELA and to the Filipino women whom we continuosly vow to serve and fight for.
You can help send:
A delegate from Mindanao for PhP10,000.00 (US$200)
A delegate from the Visayas and the Bicol region for PhP7,500.00 (US$ 150)
A delegate from other provinces in Luzon for PhP5,000.00 (US$100)
A delegate from the National Capital Region (NCR) for PhP2,500.00 (US$50)
If you are able to donate any amount, please email gabrielawomen@gmail.com Thank you very much!