Originally Published March 04, 2021
Written by Larah Jane Taculao and Phoebe Bacolod
This month of March, we celebrate and acknowledge women’s achievements as well as their participation in the national struggle, and to recognize the significant contributions of Filipino Women in the current Philippine society in observance of the National Women’s Month of 2021.
Over the years, the roles of women in our society continue to unfold and develop. Unquestionably, women have a lot of contributions from welfare, education, politics, economy, and in every step of societal development. It doesn’t just revolve around taking care of children, doing household chores, and being the disciplinarian of the family. Women do play an enormous role in the socio-economic development of the society. According to Nawal El Saadawi, an Egyptian feminist writer and activist, women are the half of the society. A revolution won’t exist without women, so do democracy. In addition, we cannot have equality without women. It is for the reason that women can also ensure stability, growth, and long-term advancement of communities.
Moreover, as we recognize all of these women roles, one must also acknowledge all the roles played by people who identified themselves as women. Regardless of the biological differences, everyone has the right to achieve acceptance, identify themselves what ever gender they want, and should have receive proper and equal treatment such as equal access to education, employment, and health. Because gender equality is also a human right.
Women in the current social hierarchy have also been acquiring high levels of education, participated in the labor force, and has created history of political involvement. However, in the current political climate in the country, women’s status are being undermined by social injustices, gender-based violence, often-exploitive overseas migration for domestic service, unrelenting working conditions, and lack of reproductive rights. Violence against women have proliferated that affects at least one of four women, while one of every five children has experienced sexual violence, resulting in the region’s highest rate of teenage pregnancy. The Philippines as a Chistian country, however, have been discouraging divorce and abortion, without realizing that it will limit the persistent violence and sexual assault.
Gender-based violence and the dire living conditions of the Filipino women also arises under the macho-fascist regime of Duterte. His administration have fostered a new wave of misogyny, violation of women’s rights, and persecution of women’s groups and rights defenders. As we remember, Duterte is very vocal about throwing insenstive and misogynistic jokes to demean women and order violence against women. Since he took office in 2016, he has moved from passing comments to encouraging rape and excusing war crimes. One of his famous ill-mannered remarks is his statement in 2018 ordering military forces to shoot female communist rebels in the vagina. “There’s a new order coming from the mayor, ‘We will not kill you, we will just shoot you in the vagina,” said Duterte. In another address to the military, Duterte said he would take responsibility for soldies raping three women during the seige of Marawi City: “If you had raped three, I will admit it, that’s on me.”
Furthermore, the society taught us what women should do. We became exposed to the thinking that women have fewer opportunities for economic participation than men. We are taught that women have limited capabilities in the workplace. We are living in a society with a patriarchal ideology, in which we are structured that men have power over women. As written in UNESCO’s Priority Gender Equality, women make up more than two-thirds of the world’s 750 million adults without basic literacy skills; women represent less than 30% of the world’s researchers; and women journalists are more exposed to assault, threat or physical, verbal or digital attack than their male counterparts. It is very alarming that up until this day, women are still experiencing this gender-based discrimination. This is a direct message to be part of the change and help break the gender stereotypes. Women are entitled the rights same as men. Regardless of the gender, no one should be deprived of all the basic rights they must be entitled to.
This month, we pay tribute for all the strong women. It is a world-wide celebration that will serve as a platform to address all the sacrifices, struggles, and dreams brought by these amazing women. This is also an action to achieve gender equality, and a call to break the social stigma!
TNC of the North 