On 24 November 2022, SGI Panama held a hybrid event to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women at the SGI-Panama Cultural Center. It contributed to promoting SDGs 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and 5 (Gender Equality).

Speakers at the event included Rosaria Correa Pulice, Director of the Institute for Human Rights, Justice and Peace and member of the 2023 UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, Neftaly Montenegro, Program Director of the Calicanto Foundation that supports women affected by violence and Jesús López, a social psychologist, university professor and SGI-Panama member.

Correa spoke on the legal aspects of violence against women, stating that violence is a pandemic. In order to break the cycle, she said, it is necessary to start making changes from childhood and adolescence and to help women who are victims.

Montenegro mentioned the importance of creating safe spaces where people can converse freely and learn. He shared the initiatives of the Calicanto Foundation, including a training program that aims to prevent violence by empowering women and helping them develop leadership skills and improve self-esteem.

López stated that the cultural roots of violence against women in Panama highlight the importance of committing oneself to taking decisive, practical and timely action to transform the social dynamics of one’s society and country.

The event concluded with a question and answer session that connected the in-person and virtual participants.