Source: Supreme Court PH (FB)
The Supreme Court (SC) of the Philippines reaffirmed its commitment to gender justice and its longstanding support for the One Billion Rising movement with a kick-off ceremony for its 2025 campaign at the SC courtyard on February 10, 2025.
One Billion Rising is a worldwide movement to end violence against women and girls. Launched in 2012, the campaign is named after the alarming statistic that one in three women globally—or approximately one billion—will experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime. Through marches, rallies, arts, dance, and activism, the movement calls for global solidarity against gender-based violence.
This year’s theme, “Rise for Freedom: Rise Against Fascism,” highlights the importance of resisting various forms of oppression, including patriarchal cultures, economic inequality, religious suppression, militarization, and environmental exploitation. The theme aligns with the SC’s mission to deliver equal and inclusive justice.
During the SC’s weekly flag-raising ceremony, thousands of SC employees— all dressed in orange—gathered in solidarity. Orange, designated by the United Nations as the official color for violence against women awareness, symbolizes hope and a brighter future free from gender-based violence.
The event was led by Acting Chief Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen and formally opened by Associate Justices Henri Jean Paul B. Inting and Jhosep Y. Lopez, co-Chairpersons of the SC Committee on Gender Responsiveness in the Judiciary
Acting Chief Justice Leonen called on SC personnel to uphold the highest standards of integrity and equality in the Judiciary. He urged them to “work towards a judiciary free from sexual harassment, corruption, and fear—one that treats everyone equally, whether you are wealthy, a tycoon, a farmer, or a worker. May we build a judiciary we can all be proud of.”
Justice Inting emphasized the need for transformation within the Judiciary, stating that we must “transcend the ordinary. Only then can we achieve unity despite our differences. The Court’s nationwide gender sensitivity training is a key step in ensuring justice not just in theory, but in practice.”
Meanwhile, Justice Lopez urged members of the Judiciary to break the silence on violence:
“Violence thrives in silence. By speaking out, we challenge not only individual acts of violence but also the systems that sustain them. Rising together is the true fight.”
The ceremony concluded with SC employees dancing to “Break the Chain,” synchronizing with participants around the world—a symbolic act of unity and resistance. (Press release courtesy of the SC Office of the Spokesperson)
