OPINION: Gloria Steinem and feminism in the Philippines

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When the internet broke the news about Gloria Steinem’s death, not a few feminists in the Philippines were saddened and grieved. After all, Gloria Steinem left an indelible mark on the Philippine women’s movement especially in issues she bitterly fought hard to win such as reproductive health rights and the mainstreaming of feminist literature through the Ms. Magazine. Though not an offshoot, the Philippines had Mr. and Ms. magazine that nevertheless featured progressive pro-women articles. After the EDSA Revolution in the 80s, we saw more opportunities for the women’s movement to take a larger piece of the development pie through resources in women and development aid windows, trainings, research grants, legal assistance, sectoral representations, electoral participation and issue-based advocacies.

With constant lobbying and advocacy, that period of impetus in feminism and women empowerment produced positive outcomes for Filipino women. Landmark international laws and instruments were forged with the Philippines as party to Covenants that advocate for gender equality in society. The Philippines is party to the 1994 Cairo International Conference on Population and Development that asserted sexual and reproductive health rights. The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action that was created during the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995 is oriented towards the concrete realization of equality, development and peace for all.

On the homefront, policies and national laws that align with international instruments were enacted. It helped that women on the forefront of these national organizations from the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women (NCRFW) now known as the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) are gender equality advocates with some of them also labelling themselves as feminists. During this time, pro-women laws that protect their rights and stir up participation were enacted, and upon implementation, brought progress to women’s lives in the areas of decision-making, economic empowerment, social and political participation and sexual and reproductive health rights.

Some of these landmark laws are based on gender equality principles, some of which were hard-won by feminists, particularly Republic Act 10354 (Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012). These landmark laws include Republic Act 7192 or the Women in Development and Nation Building Act of 1992 which capacitates women to legal support, creates access to loans and development programs for women, and work towards the elimination of gender bias in government programs. Republic Act 9710 or the Magna Carta of Women of 2009 strives to promote gender equality across political, economic, social, and health spheres. It is geared towards the protection of indigenous and marginalized women, mandates gender-responsive policies, and supports women in difficult circumstances. Republic Act 10354 aims to provide universal access to contraception, sexual education, family planning, and maternal care. Republic Act 11210 or the Expanded Maternity Leave Law of 2019 provides 105 days paid maternity leave and an additional 30 days unpaid leave and 15 days more for single mothers. RA 8972 or the Solo Parents Welfare Act of 2020 and Republic Act 11861 or the Expanded Solo Parents Welfare Act allow flexible work mode for working solo parents, often comprising of women, and offer them educational benefits. There are a host of other national policies that have been enacted to benefit women.

In a world where bigotry and patriarchy rules and where sexism is dismissed as light banter, it was not and still is not an easy battle where the road seemed often uphill for dedicated feminists in the Philippines. They are oftentimes branded as man-hating weirdos, and described as argumentative, selfish, full of themselves and always the discontented specie. To counter these unfounded misnomers, feminists have set their eyes on the prize which is gender equality and they did that with much aplomb. Even coming out as a feminist has its dispiriting price that puts one on the defensive and throws shade and divisiveness on the feminist movement overall. Whenever the question who is the real feminist is posed, it is not only divisive, it also weakens the voice that feminism intends to magnify. When someone comes out as a feminist, it is by far the strongest affirmation to the cause rather than making it a subject of a personal inquiry directed to the self-confessed feminist. How does one contest or delegitimize a self-confession? The hurdles of feminism came with prejudice because of the fear of the name. But the problem is not in the name but in not understanding what feminism truly signifies. Filipino feminists were invested in results and the results are clearly there to see. It may not be the totality of results they hoped for but it has been changing the lives of women and has so far gotten better with every policy enacted, every improved aspect in women’s lives, and that means improvement for the greater population as well.

Today, the tenets of Philippine feminism may have expanded with the times but the basic principles of equality among genders and sexes remain. Many of the feminists who have waged the fight in the Philippine landscape are no longer with us. Many are still with us and continue to fight the good fight while making it relevant for the next generation. Some of them whom I am personally acquainted with and have been involved in their works are worthy of mention. On this note, I would like to mention the many brave souls who are still with us, living the principles, continuing the fight towards the attainment of gender equality and still making it all relevant for the next generation. Due to lack of space and my own limited knowledge of everyone's works and involvement in the feminist movement, there are those not mentioned here but are equally worthy of mention and I apologize for not being able to do that. Notable of mention too are women who believe in the basic principles of feminism but chose to practice it their own way.

Patricia Licuanan and Aurora de Dios led us in the framing of pro-women international and national policies. Rosario del Rosario has always been at the forefront of pro-women labor. Rosalinda Ofreneo stood for feminist education, grassroots women empowerment and home-based workers organizing. Carolyn Sobritchea worked on propagating feminist research and inspiring the next generation through feminist training. Virginia Yap dedicated her efforts in appropriate-technology for women. Luz Martinez serves as a focal point for the never-ending discussions on women’s causes. Aida Santos produced feminist literature through her poetry and poetry workshops. Socorro Reyes continues to advocate for women’s political inclusion and lobbying efforts. Marivic Raquiza has been involved in student-based feminist organizing, and promotes alternative pro-women economic models. Princess Nemenzo is a pioneer of women’s health promotion. Guy Claudio is a stalwart in the advocacy for sexual and reproductive health rights. Vicky Tumbaga continue to be a strong voice for indigenous peoples rights especially for the rights of women IPs. Natsy Verceles is one of the younger feminists who promote feminist education, feminist research, and LGBTQ+ rights.

Feminism as a political movement and philosophy will remain relevant in the Philippine social landscape as long as gender inequality exists and as long as we ensure women’s equal rights, participation and stake in society. The ideals of feminism may seem like big chunks to digest but it basically boils down to equal access of the spaces for growth and development where their rights are genuinely protected.

As a journalist Tess Q. Raposas was part of the media delegation that covered the Fourth World Women’s Conference in 1995. She has been covering and writing about different women’s policy initiatives in the Philippines since the 90s.