Plan International Pilipinas, in partnership with the Quezon City Government through its Gender and Development Council Office, launched a collaborative initiative to champion the rights of girls and young women amid pressing challenges such as climate change, online harm, and barriers to education, entrepreneurship, and employment.
The launch coincides with Plan International Pilipinas’ national campaign for the 2025 International Day of the Girl (#StandWithGirls), which calls for policies, programs, and investments that enable girls’ participation in decisions affecting their lives. “Every day, young women across the country face challenges that threaten their safety, silence their voices, and limit their potential,” said Pebbles Sanchez-Ogang, Executive Director of Plan International Pilipinas. She added that working with Mayor Joy Belmonte, a long-time ally in gender-responsive governance, ensures that girls’ voices are heard where it matters most.
Quezon City continues to lead with programs that empower and protect girls, including menstrual health education through Period Talk for Teens, the Batang Ina Summit, and safe spaces enforced via the Anti-OSAEC ordinance and Task Forces Sampaguita and Magdalena. The city also expands access to scholarships, skills training, and livelihood through initiatives like Pangkabuhayang QC, Be Your Own Boss, and the Digital Beauty Academy, complemented by youth engagement programs such as GAD for Youth and M.O.V.E.
The #StandWithGirls campaign reached a milestone with the Girls Summit, gathering over 400 young women leaders nationwide. Participants presented a Girls’ Agenda, outlining priority issues for government and civil society, and launched the National Girls’ Network, a youth-led coalition advancing girls’ rights beyond the event. Panel discussions tackled online safety, resilience in crises, and economic empowerment, featuring leaders from government, civil society, and the private sector.
Mayor Belmonte affirmed, “When girls are safe, educated, and empowered, an entire city rises with them. As long as I am Mayor, our girls will always have an ally, a protector, and a champion in me.”
