EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN IN THE PHILIPPINES

There has been changes along the years for women’s role and position
in the society. Looking back at the pages of Philippine history books, the
pre-colonial period was referred to as a matriarchal society because of
women dominating not only the household but so with the barangay and
tribal groups. Behind every datu in a barangay was a powerful wife, his co-
partner and his co-equal. The highest position during those times was
coveted by a woman through being a priestess or a “babaylan” often
described as the healer of both body and soul.
When Spaniards came, they brought with them the patrician practices
such as confining women to the lowest rung of the social hierarchy, someone
who just runs the household with servants at beck and call but every
decision especially the purse strings were controlled by men. Even at social
gatherings, we can see how women are separated by men and that they
could only relate with own gender since they have to respect their marriage
vows.
The Americans came with their dogmas on freedom and liberalism,
women were just granted few privileges such as marrying someone to their
liking or the right to vote. Still men controlled the family way of life doing
the Joneses’ way and at the same time trying to bring the family to the land
of milk and honey for greener pastures. When Japanese came, the women
became subjects of oppression such as the plight of the comfort women,
they were restrained from doing anything without permission.
After the Second World War, there were liberation and rehabilitation that
needs to be done, the wife of the first president of Commonwealth, Manuel
Luis Quezon was a doer, she had inspired changes such as education for
women, the voting rights continued and a voice heard in every household as
a woman takes various roles from being a wife, a mother, a daughter and
even as a community doer. Thus, the transgression of women’s roles was
taking place gradually as behind every successful leader was a competent
woman.
Inspired by the first wave of feminism movement in the United States in
1848 at the Seneca Falls Convention wherein women were granted voting
rights and the second wave of the movement which happened in the 196os
and 1970s or popularly known as the Hippies Era, where every area ranging
from politics, career, family and sexuality were being discussed and
advocated. There were still two waves of the movement during 1990s and
2010. It all started with Simone de Beauvoir’s gynocriticism theory in her
book, “The Second Sex” published prior to the Second World War wherein as
the significant other of the existentialist Jean Paul Sartre, there was the
equality of women being as part of the society regardless of adding wo +
men = women or fe + male = female. This was fully discussed by Betty
Friedan’s book, the Feminine Mystique that women should get out of the
confines of domesticity, that there is room for smart and competent women
in the society.
Friedan’s campaign of feminism had reached Philippine soil, in both the
1935 and 1973 Constitutions, there were statements regarding women that
guaranteed women's right to vote, hold public office, to form associations
not contrary to law, to express oral or written views on public issues, to
peaceably assemble and to petition the government for redress of
grievances. Included in the 1987 constitution under the late Corazon
Aquino’s administration was Article 2, section 14 that states : article II,
section 14 maintains that the State, "recognizes the role of women in nation
building and shall ensure the fundamental equality before the law of women
and men." .

The provisions in the three Constitutions were just icing in the cake as
attended by feminist advocates in Beijing in 1995 wherein platform actions
for women were discussed namely Women and poverty, Education and
training of women, Women and health, Violence against women, Women and
armed conflict, Women and the economy, Women in power and decision
making, Institutional mechanisms, Human rights of women, Women and the
media, Women and the environment and The girl child. These were major
critical concerns for women and signalled the start of a formal empowerment
advocacy for women and equality.

The echoing of the convention prompted Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to sign

the Magna Carta for Women also known as Republic Act 9710 which was
under the stewardship of Philippine Commission for Women (PCW). The
MCW is a comprehensive women’s human rights law that seeks to eliminate
discrimination through the recognition, protection, fulfilment, and promotion
of the rights of Filipino women, especially those belonging in the
marginalized sectors of the society. It conveys a framework of rights for
women based directly on international law. Thus, the active participation of
Gabriela, Legislative Actions for Women (LAW), Women’s Action Network for
Development (WAND), Linangan sa Kababaihan or Linangan had joined
forces for Women Advocacies and Empowerment, with Sister Mary John
Mananzan, Guy Claudio, Qing Deles, Karina Constantino David or Inang Laya
to many and Patricia Licuanan as the movers for Feminism to be recognized,
still Philippines was able to have two female chief executives to boot means
that the glass ceiling has been broken due to acknowledging of equality
wherein women have their voices and should be heard at all times. Thus
with the 2015 United Nations Sustainable Development Program for 2030,
there is a special place for women and gender equality as manifested under
the 5th Sustainable Development Goal so with the continuing programs and
activities under the Gender and Development Organization in every
government and non-government agencies that perhaps in the near future,
this goal will be achieved. Especially with the continuing implementation of
RA 9262 wherein it is all about anti-violence against women and children in
whatever form and capacity as strengthened by the Violence Against Women
or (VAW) with their signature, the wearing of purple ribbon. It tends to unite
all government and non-government agencies to protect the rights of women
and children signalling empowerment from just a housewife or homemaker
to someone who is an asset in the society with the skills, capabilities and
prowess. Gone were the days of being a sex object, a weaker sex, a subject
of dominance as manifested in the trilogy, “Fifty Shades of Grey” but rather
as what Erica Jong’s character in her book “Fear of Flying” connotes as a
woman empowered, free and liberated.

In terms of education, GAD with the partnerships and alliances of PCW,

NGOs and other POs have continued in the task of women’s liberation, of
respect for equality between the two sexes, of pushing for the SOGIE bill be
enacted into a law wherein there is not only a purpose of gender equality but
also of gender sensitivity despite the orientation that goes with it. Education
and re-education are still the tools to awaken the consciousness of the
stone-age mindset that women should be confined to houses and that they
should not be heard or listened to. In this digital age, women are slowly
being empowered by their values, their sense of worth and their ideals. As
de Beauvoir had been emphasizing along that wo + men = women but then
it should not be taken literally but rather looking at the outer object as well.
I end this piece by a quote from one of my favorite feminists, Germaine
Greer, “ The sight of women talking together has always made men uneasy;
nowadays it means rank subversion.” For this author of the Female Eunuch,
she considers testosterone as a rare poison.