Women have always been at the frontlines of every struggle — for just wages, for quality and accessible education, for liberation. The earliest events marking the history of women’s day include a garment workers’ strike where women rose against unjust labor conditions and a women’s rights convention that was established after women were barred from speaking in an anti-slavery convention.
Spaces for women’s political expression and participation has always been limited by a society that has long deemed women as weak and inferior. For centuries, women have been treated as property instead of human beings with equal rights, which has resulted in the denial of their basic human rights to this day.
This is why the annual Women’s Day commemoration is important, especially for Filipino women who continue to fight for basic rights and genuine representation in the Philippines. This is especially important for Muslim women, Indigenous Women and those who are subjected to violent and inhumane attacks just because they do not fit a certain mold for womanhood that society imposes on us all.
Globally, women have also stood at the frontlines of every government’s Covid-19 response, with women making up 70% of the health and social sector.
This year, we honor the courage and bravery of Filipino women who have fought for every woman’s right to forge her own path while keeping true to the spirit of sisterhood and solidarity that we have nurtured in our collective struggle. Throughout our lifetimes, we have proven that #WomenMakeChange happen in their families, in their communities, and in their nations.
But this responsibility falls not only on the backs and shoulders of women. This year, and in every other year, we continue to amplify our calls for equal rights and recognition, and we call on everyone to support every woman in their every struggle.
