Belarmino Dabalos Saguing
Rome, Italy 07/03/2014
According the 2013 Global Gender Gap Index, the
Philippines ranks 5th as the world’s best place for women outranking
UK, France and the US.
It is one of the BS Aquino boasts along with the
rising economic growth which he claims to be the results of his excellent
governance.
It is so extraordinary
that it must given a second look.
Quoting the recent Executive Summary by the Center
for Women’s Resources (CWR),
- such “inclusive growth” as elusive since
despite the declaration of growth, they still experience unemployment, price
surges, lack of social services, and disasters that aggravate the
violence they experience everyday. Such condition of women is the effect
of the Aquino government’s adherence to the neoliberal framework of development
that favors the local and foreign businesses over national interest. So despite
ranking fifth in the latest Global Gender Gap Index, Filipino women still bear
the brunt of exploitation and oppression.
- - -
With
the intensified crisis and violence, comes the resistance from women and the
people. The state answers such assertion with repression and human rights
violations. There have been 152 victims of extrajudicial killings under the
Aquino administration, 18 of them were women. Some of those who fight against
anti-people policies are harassed and detained. As of August last year,
there have been 34 women political prisoners in various jails in the country.
Assertion
may result to repression. But such repression will result to more assertion
from the people who desire for a transformed society, for a better Philippines.
Women are a major force in making the transformation of society a reality
For the Filipino Women,
International Women’s Day is not a day for celebrations. It is a day to
demonstrate their resistance. It is a day to voice out their pain, just another
day of protest and struggle.
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| Photo- GABRIELA Dennis M. Sabangan-EPA |
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