Assalamu A.

WB
My courtesies and greetings to our
City Mayor Para sa Lahat Mohammad Ali “Bruce” C. Matabalao
City social Welfare and Development Officer Asrap P. Abubakar, RSW
Persons with Disability Officer in Charge Ricardo P. Castillon
Pastor Orly B. Ducoy
Co government officials and personnnel
Our empowered women present here and other distinguished participants
Good morning to everyone!

Throughout the world, the number of people who live with disabilities of one sort or another is
increasing. This is due to numerous factors such ageing populations, natural disasters, conflicts
and war, chronic health conditions, road accidents and related injuries, poor working conditions,
and many more.

In line with the month long celebration of National Women’s Month with the theme “WE for
gender equality and inclusive society” wherein we highlight women’s achievements and
discuss continuing and emerging women’s empowerment and gender equality issues and
concerns, challenges, and commitments and with that, we would like to speak for today’s
ecumenical service our empowered women with disabilities.

Disability is an ordinary attribute of being human, and human societies must stop unnecessarily
and unlawfully excluding people who have disabilities from their ordinary activities. The issues
for women with disabilities are acute and multitudinous and we must continue to lobby to keep
these issues on the agenda.

Women who have disabilities do not wish to be altered - despite what community do-gooders
might think. They do not wish to be altered, 'cured' or transformed. They want to be out there,
living their lives, stretching their potential and doing what they strive to do.

We should all support the efforts of our city government, led by City Mayor Para sa Lahat
Bruce C. Matabalao, to end disability and gender discrimination against the disabled and to
recognize the unique needs of women with disabilities. To this end, we should all work to
empower women by boosting their self-esteem, ensuring their participation, and giving them
more power and authority to make decisions in all areas of their lives.

I want us all to continually reflect on and develop our ideas on how we might collaborate to
fight attitudes and behaviors that unfairly lump people with disabilities, regardless of gender,
into stereotyped and homogenous groupings.

Let me end this speech by reiterating the Philippine Commission on Women’s explanation of
this years National Women’s Month Theme:

WE stands for Women and Everyone emphasizing the role of women themselves and everyone
in the pursuit of gender equality.

WE also stands for Women’s Empowerment, which can only be achieved when agencies,
mechanisms, institutions, private partners, and duty-bearers from the national to the local level
provide women equal rights and opportunities, and women take these opportunities to further
themselves. With women and everyone in synergy, WE can make gender equality a possibility. 

This is a call not only for a gender-responsive society but an inclusive one. A society that
overrides differences in class, ability, generation, status, and culture; a society where every
individual, each with rights and responsibilities, has an active role to play. 

Thank you and Good morning to everyone.