On Women’s Month?

As Women’s Month approaches its last day, Filipinos should take a moment of introspection—a moment to reflect on why we conduct this celebration, how institutions have commemorated this month, and how we will move forward.

From Alex Eala’s momentarily breakthrough in tennis to the recent flak GMA 7 news reporter Mariz Umali underwent from populist Duterte supporters, and the even more recent and showbiz-esque eviction of celebrities AC Bonifacio and Ashley Ortega on the reality show Pinoy Big Brother that would make you say, “really, on women’s month?”, social media has become a successful tool in amplifying the narratives of women, for better or for worse.

However, celebrating Women’s Month serves as a reminder that discussions about women continue to be polarizing, inhibiting their ongoing collective struggles. Moreover, the existence of this advocacy itself reflects a systemic issue that continues to undermine women even in today’s age.

Growing up in a household full of empowering and strong women, fairness among us, regardless of gender, was generally imposed. Celebrating Women’s Month felt like a no-brainer to me, but it was also something to muse on. Even in a broader scope, the Philippines seemingly has achieved greater progress relatively in terms of gender-related initiatives, landing 25th out of 146 countries and first in Asia in the latest World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Gender Gap Report, particularly on gender parity and garnering a 77.9 percent score in closing the gender gap,

Albeit this, social media has taught me that the tide towards equality has failed to make its full turn as gender biases persist among us, whether intentional or not, as the struggles of women continue to receive insufficient attention, especially at the local level. Luckily, our leading social media platforms have effectively served their purpose as a channel to amplify women’s narratives. It has captured the internal struggles that the beloved women in my household often conceal, and it has documented and sparked discussions regarding negative stereotypes and implications about women.

Paradoxically, the Internet’s double-edged sword has shed light on the rise of conflicting dialogues. Numerous social trends and phenomena exuded an undercurrent of intolerance, especially to those who failed to grasp the systemic issues women constantly struggle with—those who are indifferent to inclusivity or find it unnecessary. In turn, the movement towards progressive ideologies is often dubbed as “pa-woke,” and mere mentions of words closely linked to “misogynism,” “feminism,” or “gender equality” may often be narrowed down as far-fetched or overreaching concepts.

At the onset of Women’s Month, conversations regarding the affirmation of trans women’s identity as women have seemingly gained traction all over social media platforms. Specifically, these discussions questioned whether trans women should be included in the celebration of Women’s Month—when progressive movements have long fought for this cause. This resurgence of debate perhaps reflects a broader global backlash against gender inclusivity—a gigantic leap backward.

Additionally, footage of journalist Mariz Umali circulated online, showing former president Duterte wolf-whistling at her—an act widely condemned as sexist. This resurfaced on the internet following allegations of misconduct and unprofessionalism in her investigative report on the former president, who is currently on trial at the International Criminal Court. While former president Duterte comfortably resides at The Hague awaiting his trial, his populist supporters have gone all out in defending his actions against the GMA7 reporter, highlighting the entrenched sexism in Philippine society.

The implications of these examples serve as a reminder that Women’s Month persists due to the ongoing struggles women continue to endure despite progressive shifts. Moreover, “Accelerate Action,” the theme of this year’s celebration poses the challenge of how to drive meaningful change for women, particularly, women in leadership. While the country seems to generally achieve progress in gender equality, as mentioned above, some still suggest that the topic has unsubstantiated data due to the lack of sufficient studies to prove that we are genuinely progressive.

In fact, studies have found that Filipino gender norms have asserted women’s place and confined them to the private, domestic sphere. Specifically, 77.81% of Filipinos concurred with these two statements: “men should have more right to a job than women,” and “men make better business executives than women do.” These harsh realities continue to perpetuate and affirm the stance that the celebration of Women’s Month will continue to persist given our systemic inequalities. The month of March will persist to hold a special place to celebrate women, and companies will create monthly campaigns that aim to highlight the women in their workforce.

Concerning this, beyond symbolic gestures, awareness, and commemoration, Women’s Month holds a deep meaning to shed light on “invisible women.” Many women remain unseen and unheard in mainstream discussions, while the overall perception towards women often clashes with sexist and misogynistic remarks. Seemingly, the case of Mariz Umali transcends all industries and is not limited to journalism.

As a matter of fact, findings show that nearly all Filipinos hold some bias against women according to an international study, which indicates a culture of misogyny propped up by sexualization, and objectification of women. The normalization of hostile sexist attitudes, coupled with the misogynistic, integral ideology, political identity, and political economy of current violent extremist groups support the findings of misogyny and violence against women.

Failure to acknowledge this during the celebration of Women’s Month conversations limits the effectiveness of advocacy efforts, which dilutes the genuine essence of this observance. Furthermore, these grave actions pose a threat to women, girls, LGBTQ+ folks, and other marginalized communities as they face the risk of increased violence.

Ultimately, Women’s Month should serve as a moment to commemorate women and continued advocacy. Given social media’s distorted and polarizing provinces of perspectives towards women and gender equality, as well as the data that supports the current misogynistic state of the country, we could safely assume that this celebration is not going to end anytime soon.

As long as we fail to put further scrutinization and confrontation on the systemic inequalities that women face, the celebration will persist and the long journey to switch the tide towards equality will fall steeply. Beyond introspection, it is time for our institutions to initiate collective action in the pursuit of national progress in uplifting women and gender equality.