Manila, March 6 -- The Philippines' month-long celebration of women every March is aimed at advancing concrete goals on gender equality, leadership, and social protection for Filipino women, the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) has said.

PCW Chairperson Ermelita Valdeavilla said the observance goes beyond commemorating International Women's Day on March 8, emphasizing that the country's month-long celebration is designed to promote sustained action to empower women in all sectors.

She said the initiative draws from policy issuances, such as Proclamation 224 of 1988, which declared the first week of March as Women's Week and March 8th of every year as Women's Rights and International Peace Day.

Proclamation 227, series of 1988, prov...