Every March 8, we celebrate International Women’s Day, “a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.” As national elections come closer, it’s apt that this year’s International Women’s Day’s theme is “Pledge for Parity.” Parity, defined as a state of equality with regards to status, proves to be a topic that is oddly almost nonexistent within the halls of our lawmakers—a rather peculiar circumstance given the amount of women we have in power.
The Philippines has been constantly praised as “progressive” with regards to the role of women in government. On a surface level, gender representation in the country seems to be hardly an issue given our rich history of women in power— two female presidents, a number of female senators in office, and two female presidential candidates in this year’s elections. Though there is no denying the handful of women in Philippine politics, these numbers do not necessarily translate to the empowerment of the modern day Filipina.
In fact, the Philippines has ranked seventh—climbing two ranks from 2014—among 145 others in its gender equality index, as measured by the World Economic Forum (WEF). WEF attributed this major upswing from a large increase in Filipino women occupying white-collar jobs, particularly in legislation. These facts and figures give us the impression that an abundance of women in politics is indicative of a greater dialogue on the issues of gender equality and women’s rights. This is not the case. Women in power must serve as beacons of hope for those who hunger for genuine change. However, despite the presence of these female figures in legislation, representation becomes rather blurred, sometimes even forgotten, when faced with the threat of losing power.
For instance, Senator Loren Legarda recently defended the Php 1-billion budget cut of the Reproductive Health Law, thus limiting access to proper health care services for millions of Filipinas, much to the dismay of fellow colleague Senator Pia Cayetano, the bill’s principal sponsor. On the electoral trail, only Leni Robredo, the Liberal Party’s vice-presidential candidate, has outwardly spoken of her plans to fight for women’s rights and gender equality. When issues concerning the welfare of women is not represented by women, we see why there is a clear need for a sensible discussion on the roles these women should play within the arena of governance.
These recent events only emphasize the highly problematic assumption of these statistics and figures in accurately describing the role women play in Philippine politics. These women may not be aware that they carry this cross, but the label of being a “woman” connotes something far greater than their gender. It entails the responsibility of beginning the discussion—it requires one to be the precursor of change.
As we may be facing the possibility of having our third female president, we must consider how these women not only stand for themselves, but also for the women silenced by the violent structures of today’s society. They must understand that their role in government is larger—more integral to the fulfillment of an equal society. Fighting for women’s rights is a lofty task. However, we must begin with a single step, one that women should take together.
