From April 15 to 18, the SISC Oxfam Club participated in “Dapat All Equal,” a campaign created by Oxfam Pilipinas commemorating International Women’s Month. The campaign aimed to further the agenda of gender equality in our everyday lives.
“Dapat All Equal” took place near the Luxembourg Hall with an awareness booth as well as an art exhibit dedicated to the art competition created alongside the SISC Avant-Garde and the SISC Art Society.
“Dapat All Equal” club booth
The members of SISC Oxfam put up a booth to promote the event and had students sign a petition regarding the gender gap wage in the workforce. The petition received over 150 signatures from both high school and senior high school students.
The booth also gave 300+ takeaways such as “Dapat All Equal” pins and stickers in green, white, and blue.
The success of the petition was highlighted by the end-report of the event by SISC Oxfam stating, “Your support during our event from April 15-18, 2024, means the world to us!”
“Dapat All Equal” Art Competition
The campaign hosted an art competition with the SISC Avant-Garde and SISC Art Society club. The competition’s theme was “What is Gender Equality to You?” in which students created traditional or digital art to convey their take on the theme. The artworks were displayed in an exhibition in Monarch’s Park throughout the three-day event.
Winners of the event were announced on April 22. Chloe Laurel from 10-Teamwork bagged first place with her artwork titled “Faces of Equality,” followed by Angela Beatrice Alvarez of 9-Sincerity who placed second, and Meleah Crizzelle Angeles of 8-Empathy who lastly placed third.
Guest speaker highlights
To add to the campaign, SISC Oxfam invited Ms. Cecilia D. Villa, the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Advisor of Oxfam Pilipinas, as a guest speaker to educate about gender equality within the high school and senior high school student bodies during their respective assemblies on April 15 and 16.
Villa highlighted the importance of education regarding gender equality, stating, “Gender equality is a must in everyone’s lives. We must take a stand against factors that deteriorate the achievement of equality amongst all, regardless of gender or not.”
Student’s Take on gender equality
The club also asked various students “What is gender equality?”, in which students from different backgrounds anonymously gave their take on what gender equality is in their perspective. Answers were posted on the official SISC Oxfam Instagram account, @thesiscoxfamclub.
One student responded with “Letting People be People.” Another defined gender equality as “Getting equal opportunities regardless of gender identity.”
Lee Hajung, president of SISC Oxfam, gave her response to the topic by stating how gender equality encompasses more than just feminism and addressing male-female stereotypes. She explained, “ It represents an opportunity for all individuals, regardless of gender, to thrive. Feminism has indeed played a crucial role in promoting gender equality, but sometimes its true meaning is distorted, leading to perceptions of gender superiority rather than equality.”
Lee also added remarks about steps we can take to achieve gender equality, saying that it can be done through continuous education, notice, and effort in upholding its virtues. She added, “Not by both genders combating each other, but rather by understanding each gender’s distress, we can achieve more equal and equal gender equality where every individual, irrespective of gender, can succeed.”
Despite the one-month delay, the SISC Oxfam Club initiated a successful first awareness campaign as the SISC branch for Oxfam Pilipinas. With the help of the student body, the club hoped that it was able to bring awareness towards gender equality and pave the way towards a better future for all genders.
‘Power of the people’
The SISC Oxfam Club is based on the non-governmental organization, Oxfam Pilipinas, marking it as the first student-led organization of its influence. Oxfam is a global movement fighting inequality and poverty, and reaching justice for certain demographics.
The club held its first meeting online through a Zoom meeting on February 12, 2024, comprising their officers, moderators, and members. Lee Hajung began the meeting with starting remarks, followed by their moderator, SLGE teacher Sir Mark Orale, who gave encouragement and praise to the club and its officers. When asked about the club’s purpose, Lee said, “It will be good to bring this organization to my school which was my motivation to make this club.”
Their advocacies aim to “raise awareness about the various global issues faced by communities worldwide.” Their motto, “We believe in the power of the people, and that includes students,” drives their club to accomplish its Mission and Vision statements of spreading awareness of social, economic, and environmental issues.
The club’s main focus is tackling and discussing issues such as gender equality, economic justice, equal rights, climate action, and organizing donation drives. Their activities can be found on their Instagram account @thesiscoxfamclub.