EARLIER this month, state Social Development, Welfare and Non-Islamic Religious Affairs Committee chairman Lim Siew Khim together with Penang Women Development Corporation (PWDC) announced the 2023 Penang Goes Orange (PGO) campaign at Komtar.
Among the highlights is a 2km walk, themed #Kindness4Wellness: Walk Against Bullying.
It will be held on Nov 25 at the Esplanade.
This year, the PGO campaign hopes to display solidarity to end bullying among adolescents in schools.
In an interview, PWDC chief executive officer Datuk Ong Bee Leng said Penang is no stranger to bullying cases.
“Bullying among adolescents has risen over the years. From cyber to physical and emotional forms of bullying, all these must stop!”
Ong said this year’s PGO campaign would depart from its norm by dedicating its cause to stopping bullying among students across schools in Penang.
“We are not only raising awareness about bullying. We are also highlighting the victim’s confidence-building to voice out his or her disparity to the relevant authorities and families.
“More often than not, victims are afraid of reporting to their school counsellors or even families about their hostile encounters, troubled by the repercussions to receive from their bullies or even school.
“They opt to blame themselves rather than holding the bullies accountable.
“This would inflict everlasting effects upon the victim’s growth, not to mention, embolden the bullies to continue their heinous acts.
“As a result, victims may suffer from mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression,” Ong said recently.
For the past 10 years, PWDC has been running the PGO campaign in conjunction with the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, also known as ‘World Orange Day’.
Ong added that the 2023 PGO campaign is very much aligned with Penang’s vision to become a family-focused, green and smart state by 2030.
“We hope that this campaign can contribute to realising Theme C of the Penang2030 vision, which is ‘Empowering the People to Increase Public Participation’.
“It is important to understand that stopping bullying is not a single-day affair. It is a continuous effort.
“We need to stand up against bullying and this walk can inspire people to do so,” she said.
In addition to the 2km walk, the PGO campaign will extend for 16 days, concluding on Dec 10.
For more details about the walk, visit https://howei.com/event_details/penanggoesorange23
The public can also check out PWDC’s official Facebook page for more information.
Story by Norman Sim
Pix by Alissala Thian