Today’s battle cry: Babae, may laban ka!
Did you know that one in three women — globally, an estimated 736 million, according to UN Women — have been subjected to physical or sexual violence, mostly by an intimate partner? Violence against women and girls is a human rights violation. The immediate and long-term physical, sexual, and mental consequences for women and girls can be devastating, including death.
Unfortunately, less than 40 percent of the women who experience violence seek help of any sort. According to Senator Loren Legarda, principal author of the Anti-Violence against Women and Children (VAWC) Act of 2004 (RA 9262), “Many victims of abuses choose not to report these incidents due to lack of awareness about their legal rights. We have diligently toiled to enact pieces of legislation to protect the rights of women and promote their welfare. The greater challenge is to effectively implement these laws and educate women on their rights. Women around the country should be aware that they are sufficiently protected under various laws,” she said.
Led by Country Programme coordinator Lenlen Mesina, UN Women Philippines recently gathered several women for the annual campaign against gender-based violence. It was no ordinary shoot because she invited some of the biggest names in women’s rights and gender equality — champion lawmakers, government champions, longtime feminists and community advocates. “The OG Feminists,” Lenlen calls them. The battle cry of the campaign? “Babae, May Laban Ka!” to remind women of the Philippine Anti-VAWC Law that has been in place since 2004 to protect them.
The shoot brought together UN Women Goodwill Ambassador for the Philippines Karen Davila, and UN Women Champions Bianca Gonzalez and myself. Karen invited fellow advocate Apples Aberin and gender equality activist Melo Esguerra, while Bianca’s She Talks Asia co-founders Lynn Pinugu and Iza Calzado joined as well. Janine Gutierrez wasn’t free on the day of the shoot but contributed valuable insights during the UN Women Philippines team planning session with the UN Women regional communications specialist for UN Women Asia-Pacific Diego de La Rosa.
All the women were photographed by Niccolo Cosme, whose Project Headshot Clinic is a local pioneer in using the digital platform to amplify advocacies. He started this in 2007 and has worked with UNAIDS, UNDP and AHF (for HIV/AIDS) UNFPA (for reproductive health), Save The Children, WWF and the Climate Change Commission, among others. Advocate and community builder Dar Ty-Nilo has been instrumental in bringing to life some of the projects and campaigns for UN Women.
It was a huge honor to meet the pioneer feminists of our country — the Filipinas who sacrificed so much and paved the way for the progress we enjoy today. Several of them have been jailed, abused, even separated from their children, yet they have toiled for decades — all for the fight for women’s rights and gender equality. Their names may not be familiar to many of us, especially the younger generation, but these are women that should be recognized for their work and contributions. I wish I could share each one’s personal story in detail, but for now, here is a yearbook of sorts to recognize the women who paved the way for us and serve as a reminder to us: Babae, may laban kayo dahil sa kanila!
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Entrepreneur, author, and UN Women Champion Rissa Mananquil Trillo puts the spotlight on how to face the future by sharing stories of people and companies creating a better future today. Find her on Instagram @rissamananquiltrillo.
The OG feminists
A tribute to the Filipinas who helped pave the way for the progress we enjoy today.
Senator Loren Legarda
Loren Legarda is the longest-serving female senator in the history of the Senate and the only female in the Philippines to top two senatorial elections. Her legislative work is focused on education, women's rights, children's rights, the environment, indigenous people rights, and culture. Legarda underscored the need to strengthen public awareness and campaigns on women's rights to prevent and combat all forms of gender-based violence. Some the notable laws she authored and co-authored for the protection of women’s rights include the Anti-Violence Against Women and Children Act, Magna Carta of Women, Reproductive Health Law, Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, and the Universal Healthcare Law.
Rep. Bellaflor angara castillo
Rep. Bella Angara is a former member of the Philippine House of Representatives representing the lone district of Aurora. She was the first woman in the history of the Philippine Congress to become House majority floor leader. She enacted the greatest number of national bills into law among neophyte lawmakers and sectoral representatives during the 10th Congress. Among the national bills she authored that became landmark legislations were the Magna Carta for Women, the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003, and the Anti-Violence Against Women and Children Act of 2004.
Lenlen Mesina
Lenlen Mesina is the UN Women Philippines country programme coordinator. She has been an advocate for the advancement of women and women’s rights for over 20 years. In 2000-2004, she was the program coordinator for Policy Advocacy and Information Campaigns Women’s Legal Bureau. Working and living alternately between the Philippines and Hong Kong, Len served as a program manager for The Women’s Foundation in Hong Kong, and as trainer and board member of Enrich, an NGO that educates and empowers migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong. She had a brief stint as a consultant with the Presidential Management Staff, Office of the President. A University of the Philippines graduate, Len served as a senior lecturer on Community Development at the UP College of Social Work and Community Development (CSWD), and as University Extension Specialist III of the UP Gender Office.
Aurora Javate De Dios
Prof. Aurora “Oyie” Javate de Dios is a feminist educator. Between 1987 and 1994, Oyie helped organize the Women's Studies Association of the Philippines (WSAP), whose most critical success has been to legitimize and incorporate women's studies into the classroom. When she was appointed chairperson of the Board of the Commissioners of the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women (NCRFW, now renamed Philippine Commission on Women), she lobbied for the passage of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act and the Violence Against Women and their Children Act. She represented the Philippines in many international conferences, including negotiations on the UN Optional Protocol on Trafficking of Persons (1998-2000) in Vienna and the UN Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) (2000). She is the executive director of the Women and Gender Institute (WGI) based in Miriam College.
Emmeline Verzosa
Emmeline L. Verzosa served almost 18 years of committed leadership as executive director of the Philippine Commission on Women. PCW, together with the women’s movement in the Philippines and key government institutions, successfully lobbied for the enactment of the Women’s Priority Legislative Agenda. These laws include the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act, the Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children Act, the Magna Carta of Women, the Kasambahay Law, the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law, the Decriminalization of Premature Marriage, the 105-Day Expanded Maternity Leave Law, and Safe Spaces Act, among others.
Atty. Claire luczon
Atty. Claire Luczon is an expert on women’s human rights and gender equality. She previously worked as legal consultant for the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines. Since 2016, she has been working with the Asian Development Bank supporting the implementation, monitoring, and reporting of gender mainstreamed ADB projects in the Southeast Asian region, and is now senior consultant for Gender Equality, Women’s Empowerment, and Social Inclusion. She served four years as executive director of Women’s Legal Education, Advocacy and Defense (WomenLEAD) Foundation, Inc., an organization providing legal services to women in the Philippines.
Beth Angsioco
Beth Angsioco is a feminist, internationally acclaimed women’s rights advocate, and national chairperson of the Democratic Socialist Women of the Philippines. DSWP is a feminist national federation of community-based women’s groups. Beth immersed with women in communities and initiated strategies to push for women’s rights. She ventured into legislative advocacy and has been instrumental in the passage of laws that cater to women’s rights like the Anti-Rape Law, the Anti-Violence Against Women and Children Law, and the Reproductive Health Law.
Monina Geaga
Monina Geaga is a feminist and a longtime human rights activist. A staunch advocate of the rights of women, she co-founded Kasarian-Kalayaan, Inc. (Sarilaya) in 1994, an organization of women-development catalysts committed to promoting women’s empowerment and gender equality. She served as its secretary general from 2010 to 2014 and was part of the International Committee of the World March of Women from 2003-2008, where she contributed to crafting the Woman's Global Charter for Humanity.
Aida Santos Maranan
Aida has been a women’s rights and gender justice advocate since the late 1970s. A co-founder of WeDpro and KALAYAAN (Katipunan ng Kababaihan para sa Kalayaan), the first feminist organization established in 1983, she is a researcher, trainer, educator, writer, and consultant for various national and international development agencies (United Nations, International Labor Organization, The Asia Foundation, Novib-Oxfam, and Cordaid, among others). She has served as a gender and development consultant to many government agencies on various topics such as VAW, human rights, migration, trafficking, peace issues, and project evaluation. She received the National Bayi Awards in 2011 as one of the Centennial Awardees for her exemplary work as a feminist and one of the pioneers in the Philippine Women’s Movement.
Princess Nemenzo
Ana Maria "Princess" Ronquillo-Nemenzo is a veteran participant of many conferences, seminars and workshops in the Philippines and overseas dealing with women, health, population, development issues and feminist concerns. Reproductive rights were theoretical until the new Constitution of the Philippines was written in 1986. In 1987, Princess and her colleagues set up Woman Health, whose mission is to promote, defend and advance women's reproductive rights and self-determination. The organization deals with the issues of reproductive rights within the context of a comprehensive women's health program and within the framework of a third-world country affected by international economic forces. Princess says it’s important to understand how all these forces affect our health, lives, and ability to defend these rights.
Salome Ujano
Ma. Salome “Sally” Ujano is a women's and children’s rights activist and has been vocal for over three decades in her work to end the trafficking of women and children and provide assistance and counseling to survivors of domestic violence. As executive director of the Women’s Crisis Center from 2000 to 2007 and national coordinator of the Philippines Against Child Trafficking (PACT) starting 2008, she collaborated with and trained the PNP and other government agencies in establishing a rights-based approach in handling trafficking cases. Ujano also lobbied and worked for the drafting and implementation of landmark laws such as the Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children Act of 2004.
Prescy Tulipat
Prescilla “Prescy” Tulipat is an incest survivor who speaks up to help raise awareness. A counselor, women’s advocate, and educator, she transformed her pain and trauma into courage and healing. As someone who worked at the Women Crisis Center and as guidance service specialist at the UP Diliman Gender Office, she believes that the academic setting can be inclusive and transformative for survivors of gender-based violence when there is available support such as teachers who create opportunities to meaningfully contribute insights and learning.
Cherry Barnuevo
Cherry Delena Barnuevo is secretary general at Solidarity of Oppressed Filipino People, Inc. (SOFP). She was also the former president of Damayan ng Maralitang Pilipinong Api (DAMPA), a federation of women-led, community-based grassroots organizations located in the Philippines. She strongly believes that women should be empowered to be more resilient than men because of traditional and cultural factors they face in their everyday lives. She volunteered with DAMPA because she has seen that it empowers women to be strong leaders in their community.
Tynna Mendoza
Tynna is the director of programs at Enrich, an NGO that educates and empowers migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong through financial education and personal development. Prior to coming to Hong Kong, Tynna worked with the Human Rights Commission of the Philippines, which helped shape her interest in women’s rights and was the platform that helped her embark on a development career. Keen on complementing experience with deeper knowledge, Tynna secured a master’s degree in Women and Development Studies from the University of the Philippines in Diliman.
Necitas Romeo
Necitas is a longtime staff member of the Women’s Legal Bureau (WLB). She started out a messenger instrumental to submitting documents to courts, and later lead admin and finance. WLB is a feminist legal NGO that worked to empower women using and engaging with the law and its institutions. WLB helped shape the Philippine jurisprudence and legal landscape by drafting some of the bills that now form part of the body of Philippine laws that strengthen protections for women against violence and discrimination. In 2006, WLB led the historical gathering of around 100 women’s rights organizations and advocates in submitting the Philippine Shadow Report under the Convention of the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
Sidebar
Gender-based violence by the numbers
1 in 3
Global estimates by the World Health Organization indicate that about 1 in 3 women (35%) worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual violence from an intimate partner or non-partner in their lifetime.
18%
In the Philippines, 18% of women (1 in 5) aged 15-49 have experienced any form of physical, sexual, or emotional violence by their current or most recent husband/intimate partner, according to the 2022 Philippine National Demographic Health Survey (NDHS), as released by the Philippine Statistics Authority.
40%
Less than 40 percent of the women who experience violence seek help of any sort. UN Women shares that in the majority of countries with available data on this issue, among those who seek help, most look to family and friends and very few look to formal institutions such as the police and health services.
25th of November
The UN General Assembly officially designated November 25 as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (VAW) on February 7, 2000.
18 days
The number of days the national Campaign to End VAW is observed in our country annually. While other countries have a 16-day campaign, the Philippines observes an 18-day campaign to end VAW. In 2006, then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed Proclamation 1172, extending the national campaign to 18 days to include December 12 — a historic date that marked the signing of the UN Protocol in observance of the International Day Against Trafficking, especially for women and children.
2004
The year Republic Act No. 9262, known as The Anti-Violence against Women and their Children Act of 2004, was signed into law. VAWC (or violence against women and children) includes but is not limited to physical violence or the act that includes bodily harm; sexual violence or the act that is sexual in nature, committed against a woman or her child; psychological violence or the act or omission that causes or is likely to cause mental or emotional suffering of the victim; and economic abuse or the act that makes or attempts to make a woman financially dependent.
911
The PNP Emergency hotline to call if you need help against gender-based violence. You can also message Lunas Collective on social media.
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