High School Students Engage in Lectures on Women’s Rights and Gender equality

Over 400 Secondary Laboratory School (SLS) students from Bukidnon State University participated in a lecture series titled “#WecanbeEquALL Information Drive,” conducted by the university’s Gender and Development Resource Center (UGRC) in commemoration of the National Women’s Month on March 20, 2024.

According to SLS Principal Ms. Desiree A. Barroso, the participation of Grade 7–11 students in the lecture series was an affirmation of their commitment to promoting diversity, inclusion, and equality among students.

“Let us recognize that the empowerment of all genders is not merely an agenda but a foundation upon which a just and equitable society can be built. Our dedication to gender and development is a testament to our beliefs in the strengths of diversity and the undeniable truth that when one of us is uplifted, we are all elevated,” Barroso said.

UGRC Director Dr. Marichu B. Montecillo underscored the importance of raising awareness within the BukSU community about various laws about women’s rights, such as the Anti-trafficking in Persons Act, the Safe Spaces Act, and the Prohibition on Child Marriage Law, among others.

“The reason we have this lecture is to inform and increase awareness that there are laws that protect us from harassment, discrimination, or any form of abuse, and this is a way to inform and also empower individuals,” Montecillo said.

“We’ve learned a lot of things in this lecture. We’ve learned about statistics on the progression of society, especially marginalized people in Mindanao or Region X. Also, we learned how we as humans have been affected by human rights such as the Safe Space Act or how we can protect ourselves from our people because of how the government implies us with the loss that protects us as individuals,” said SLS Grade 11 student Dylana De Asis.

The lecture series was conducted in partnership with the Philippine Commission on Women-Northern Mindanao Field Office, the Commission on Human Rights-10, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines-Bukidnon, the Philippine Statistics Authority-10, Regional Gender and Development Committee-10, Bureau of Treasury-Bukidnon, and the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos-10.

(With information from Stepanne M. Bracero)