Bike for women’s rights, stop violence against women!

By Mei Orias, Amnesty International

Amnesty International Philippines (AIPh) was joined by 500 Filipino cyclists in a 78 km bicycle tour in seven cities of Metro Manila in its annual Bike for Rights. This year the theme is “padyaKarapatan para sa mga kababaihan, itigil ang karahasan!” (Bike for women’s rights, stop violence against women!)

“There is no society in the world where women are not at risk of gender-based violence, violence which inhibits women from taking an equal part in society and enjoying their human rights.” explained Dr. Aurora Parong, Section Director of Amnesty International Philippines when asked about this year’s Bike for Rights theme.

According to an Amnesty International report entitled “The Gender Trap”, women earn just 10 per cent of the world’s income and own less than 1 per cent of the world’s property despite working two thirds of the world’s working hours and producing half of the world’s food.

“At home and in society at large, women and girls carry out more menial tasks and their voices are less likely to be heard. Many suffer further discrimination as a result of their ethnicity, race, religion, marital status or disability.” said Parong.

Amnesty International highlights how women and girls who live in poverty often suffer human rights abuses more than any other sector of the Society. Their lives are affected by sexual violence, lack of opportunity to receive education and too little protection against the risks of pregnancy and childbirth. Their rights must be protected and their voices must be heard.

“The UN Millennium Development Goals have recognized both education and health as vital to any strategies which seek to end poverty. Women and girls who live in poverty face additional barriers to these rights because of their socioeconomic status and gender discrimination. Building on its Stop Violence against Women campaign, Amnesty international’s Demand Dignity campaign will also focus on the barriers that many women face in realizing their human rights due to poverty, violence and discrimination.” Added Parong.

Amnesty International’s Demand Dignity campaign aims to address these human rights violations that drive and deepen poverty. It aims to mobilize people all over the world to demand that governments, big corporations and others who have power must listen to the voices of the marginalized communities especially those living in poverty in order that their rights are recognized and protected.

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