Lady cops from the Ilocos Norte Police Provincial Office on Monday led a purple motorcade along the main streets of this city to kickstart the National Women’s Month celebration in Ilocos Norte.

The motorcade, complete with a mascot, started early morning at Camp Capt. Valentin S. Juan on Hernando Street and cruised from P. Gomez Street to the Sirib Mile, and passed the university belt where most students converged.

At 3:30 p.m., women in uniform from the Laoag City Police Station gathered at the Sirib Mile in front of the Laoag City Centennial Arena and paraded while dancing all the way to Ablan Avenue, then to Rizal Street up to the provincial capitol.

In her speech at the Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. Grandstand, Joemelle Ernesti Saguid Go-Sy, a mayoralty candidate in Dingras town, underscored how women are no longer in the sidelines when it comes to leadership.

“Gone are the days when leadership, bravery, and strength were seen as ‘pang-lalaki’ lang (for men only). Today, we see women leading, protecting, and making waves in places where they once weren’t expected to,” Go-Sy said.

Currently an entrepreneur, Go-Sy urged fellow women to “keep shining, keep leading, and keep proving that gender is never a limitation —it is a superpower.”

Purple is the official color of International Women’s Day, which was founded more than a century ago after some 15,000 women marched in New York City in the United States to demand better working conditions and voting rights.

In the Philippines, National Women’s Day celebrates social, economic, and political achievements and calls for gender equality.

Over the years, the Ilocos Norte government has been pushing for programs and services for women, such as livelihood assistance, skills training, and promotion of health and welfare.

Among the major innovations for women empowerment in the province is the establishment of Pink Hotlines to address reports on violence against women and children, in coordination with the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office, Gender and Development Office, and Women and Children’s Desk Office of the Philippine National Police.

In honor of the strength, resilience, and contributions of Ilokano women across all sectors, the Ilocos Norte government has prepared a lineup of activities to highlight the celebration this month.

Among these include the annual Kinni-Kinni (swaying of hips) Parade and Search for Kinni-Kinni Queen on March 8, women healthcare services on March 14, and a Zumba dance competition on March 21.

Other local government offices also conduct seminars on teenage pregnancy, sexual harassment, rape, and other gender and development issues in communities. (PNA)