Vice President Leni Robredo urged women to participate in governance by answering the "calls to leadership."

In her message on International Women's Day on Monday, Robredo said her office affirms the strength of women and celebrates the years of "tireless struggle" that the ancestors went through so that the women today have wider pathways to empowerment.

"So as we honor the victories of those who came before, let us blaze new trails for others to follow. Let us answer the calls to leadership, face the trials of our time with resolve, and strive towards a fairer, kinder, more humane world, where no one is left behind," said Robredo, leader of the opposition Liberal Party.

As the world celebrates Women's Day, she said this is a reminder that everyone needs to band together to continue the work.

"We need as many women and allies as possible banging against the glass ceiling and creating spaces where all genders can flourish and contribute to society. Because progress hinges not on the brilliance of a few, but in the sustained united effort of all," she said.

Despite the gains on gender-equality, Robredo said the realities on the ground "paint a picture that remains far from ideal."

She cited the increasing cases of domestic violence.

"Under the shadow of the pandemic, reproductive health services have been hampered, and lockdowns have trapped survivors at home with their abusers, with little in terms of a lifeline to the outside world. There are still places in this world where women are denied an education, forced into marriages, and left with no choice but to dream smaller. And even in spheres where women participation has improved, gaps in gender balance at the highest levels of leadership still need to be filled to truly create a more inclusive, holistic climate of change," she said.

Robredo's supporters have been pushing her to run for president in the 2022 presidential elections. Celerina Monte/DMS