Women’s gains

The month of March is coming to a close and most everywhere where there are ears that will hopefully listen, women have been talking about the gains and challenges made for them, by them, and on their behalf. At the Bulong-Pulungan sa Westin Philippine Plaza Tuesday, executives of the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women spoke about the positive developments in the women’s movement.

The week previous, on March 8, Women’s Rights and International Peace Day was marked by festive program in Marikina, with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as guest of honor and speaker. As we know, Mrs. Arroyo is the second woman president of this country. The first was Mrs. Corazon Aquino. They are two of the 22 women who have become world leaders in a vast field of hundreds of male leaders.

A discussion at the Bulong-Pulungan revolved around whether Mrs. Aquino and Mrs. Arroyo had made a difference for women. Resource person Jurgette Honculada, a stalwart in the women labor movement, said having two female presidents has enhanced the positive image of women as leaders. But this has also led to the cryptic remark (made by not-so-friendly men), "So, what else do you want?"

By having two female presidents, it would seem indeed that Filipino women are "more equal than others". In a way, yes. It was brought out, within the context of having a women’s vote, that Mrs. Aquino and Mrs. Arroyo had not been elected in the traditional political system. Mrs. Aquino was voted president because of the expediency of the moment, there having been a need to elect an alternative to the dictator Marcos; and the nation was awash with sympathy for Ninoy Aquino, the slain opposition leader, and his widow did not have the sins of political leaders of whom the nation had gotten tired of. Mrs. Arroyo, herself, had been catapulted to power outside of a regular election; as vice president, she automatically took over the presidency upon the ouster of Joseph Estrada.

Yet if the two women leaders had run in regular presidential elections, it is doubtful if they would have won, given the excesses of the Philippine political system where money, power, and machismo reign supreme. That is why there could not yet be a women’s vote in the sense that it could have candidates elected. And that’s ironic, because there are more women voters than men. The NCRFW executives did say that women can help promote candidates who embody the qualities of good leaders.

* * *

The NCRFW chair, Aurora de Dios Javate, talked about Filipino women as having gained "a measure of equality", of the commission on women having made a difference in the 28 years that it has been in existence, and of the Philippines being the first Asian country with a law against sexual harassment. Also, she said, that the anti-trafficking bill would likely be passed in the Senate.

She spoke about trafficking of women and children, domestic violence and battering of women, and more economic opportunities being given women as needing attention.

On her part, NCRFW executive director Emmeline Versoza said that a gain has been achieved with the adoption by the Philippine government of the Philippine Plan for Gender-Responsive Development through Executive Order 273 under President Fidel V. Ramos. The order mandates government agencies to allocate 50 per cent of their budget to women‘s programs. Emmeline said that compliance by agencies has been 40 per cent only, "so we need a lot of information and advocacy."

I, too, believe, that some gains have been made to improve the women’s status, but a lot of work has yet to be made to make women and men equal in law, society, and in practice.

* * *

Filipino women join the millions of people around the world who oppose the unilateral United states decision to invade Iraq. Likhaan, a non-governmental organization of women, is holding a daily "Peacewatch" at the minipark, cor. EDSA and Quezon Avenue, Quezon City. The women, wearing white clothes, started their 6:00-6:30 p.m. vigil Thursday, with a call on President Macapagal-Arroyo to withdraw her support of American President George Bush’s war and by stopping the militarization in Mindanao. They believe that Mrs. Arroyo’s militarist stance may well have triggered the serial bombings in the Davao airport and other areas in Mindanao as actions of reprisal.

The daily activity features candle lighting, community singing and updates on the US-led war through a tally board monitoring numbers of casualties in Iraq, as well as of affected overseas Filipino workers, the war’s effects on the rising prices of basic goods here, and retaliatory attacks by extremists.

Meantime, the "peacewatchers" are alarmed that the government has allocated P500-million for the Mindanao Peace and Development Fund (a misnomer, they say). The said fund, they say, will be used largely to buy guns, bullets, vehicles, communication equipment and for intelligence gathering. Says their spokesperson: "If the request of the evacuees in Pikit to arm themselves is true, then the notion of militarism as a solution is already instilled in the minds of the people, induced by the perpetual war of Mindanao. Their armament will further intensify hostilities and eventually lead to the obliteration of race or lineage. War or violence is not the answer, for every one loses in war as their predecessor learned time and time again."

* * *

My e-mail address: [email protected]