Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 21) — US Vice President Kamala Harris urged human rights activists on Monday to stay the course as there is strength in numbers to advance the cause.
“Don’t give up,” she said at a town hall meeting with students, young professionals, and advocates on Monday in Pasay City.
Harris cited their role in the battle against systems and institutions that, deliberately or not, neglect human rights.
Prior to the meeting, the US vice president met with human rights workers also at the Sofitel.
“There is so much about the fight for human rights that require us to remember that we are not alone. Because it requires movements, it requires working against systems that have been designed in many situations to neglect if not be more affirmative in overlooking or even attacking human rights,” she said.
“Fighting for human rights means obviously starting with the recognition that there are violations of human rights. That means seeing the worst of human behaviors. That means understanding and seeing what suffering looks like, what pain looks like, what unfairness looks like. And for someone who has level of empathy and understanding about that, that requires a high level of endurance to stick with it. If you care about, you would understand what it means. So I understand by saying that you are not alone, and it matters,” Harris said.
Equal opportunity
Harris, the first female vice president of the United States, also advocated for gender equality.
She said women should be given equal opportunity to access to capital and financial literacy for female entrepreneurs.
Harris said uplifting the economic situation of women has a direct impact on her immediate circle.
“You lift up the economic status of a woman, her family would be lifted, her community would be lifted. All of society will benefit,” she said.
Giving a woman financial independence, she said, could also reduce gender violence.
“There is a real correlation between violence against women and gender violence and the economic status of women. And there is plenty of data to show that when you lift the economic status of women, they are in less likely to be in fear for their physical safety. And often, it is as simple as she has an option and does not have to live in an environment where she is in threat of her bodily safety or the safety of her children,” she said.
Harris also challenged young women leaders to persevere and not to lose hope as they need to carry the torch and pass it on to the next generations, naming Josefa Llanes Escoda, Cory Aquino, and Concepcion Calderon among the Filipino women whose leadership began when they were in their 20s.
“Know that you stand on the shoulders of people who came before you. We chartered the course to do what you are doing as young leaders,” she said.
Among the projects that the US announced with Harris’ visit to the Philippines include supporting the three-year Philippines-UN Joint Programme for Human Rights and providing a $15.5-million loan guarantee through a framework agreement with Citibank to support a microfinance institution helping women entrepreneurs access capital and contribute to economic growth in the Philippines.
Despite the short meeting with the audience, some attendees said they were satisfied and inspired by Harris’ words.
“It’s an opportunity and an inspiration to have this talk with VP Kamala Harris. It’s a way for us to sort of have this light for our future. And have this woman so powerful to have this torch before us and guide us to where we want to go and strive as a community of young girls and women today,” said Isabel Abundancia from Bridge the Gap.
Social entrepreneur Pamela Mejia, meanwhile, said she agreed with Harris who said women should not be subjected to violence.
“I would say that this is applicable both to entrepreneurs and also women artisans that we work with. A lot of them are victims of violence, especially those in south. But if we give them the capital, it gives them the freedom to leave a very violent household,” she said.
