Gabriela marks Women’s Day with call to end discrimination, abuse

House Assistant Minority Leader Arlene Brosas of Gabriela party-list on Wednesday called for an end to discrimination and abuses against women to mark International Women's Day.

“Mr. Speaker, mga kapwa kinatawan, ipinapaabot ng Gabriela Women's Party ang pagbati sa lahat ng kababaihan saanmang panig ng mundo ngayong Pandaigdigang Araw ng Kababaihang Anakpawis! Happy International Women's Day! Araw natin ito, mga kabaro at kaibigan. At sa araw na ito, patuloy nating itinatala ang 'di matitinag na pagtindig ng kababaihan para sa mithing lumaya sa anumang uri ng diskriminasyon at pagsasamantala,” Brosas said.

(This is our day, fellow women and friends. And today, we reiterate our strong stand for freedom from any kind of discrimination and abuses.)

“We claim our rightful space in this chamber, even if insidious anti-people measures such as Charter change or Chacha have made headlines as this month kicks off. Muli, hindi tayo makapapayag na mapag-iwanan at kalimutan ang mga panukalang batas na mag-aangat sa katayuan ng kababaihan at magwawakas sa abuso at karahasan,” she added.

(We won't allow women to be left behind and forgotten in crafting laws that will alleviate the plight of women and end abuses and violence against them.)

Brosas also said that while the day should be marked paying tribute to Filipino women in various fields who have broken gender stereotypes and who have leveraged female power, talent and grit such as Olympic gold medallist Hidilyn Diaz, award-winning "Triangle of Sadness" actress Dolly de Leon, and 2022 US Open girls' singles champion Alex Eala, tribute should also be paid to the millions of nameless, faceless Filipino women who try their best to make ends meet for their families in the midst of alarming inflation rates, depressed incomes and massive joblessness.

“Juggling domestic and economic roles while facing the features of patriarchy and misogyny on a daily basis illustrate the multiple burdens which we women face. Sabi nga, ang pagiging babae ay pamumuhay sa panahon ng digma,” Brosas said.

(Being a woman is living in a time of war.)

“Malayo tayong nakatanaw sa isang lipunang tunay na malaya, isang lipunang kumikilala sa pagkakapantay-pantay, isang lipunang hindi ikinakahon ang babae sa palamuti sa mga tabloid at telebisyon, isang lipunang hindi nag-uudyok ng karahasan at abuso. Kaya naman higit pa sa pagpasa ng mga batas ang hamon sa atin. Kailangan natin ng komprehensibong pagbabago sa kung paano tinitingnan ang kababaihan sa lipunan,” Brosas stressed.

(We long for  a society where there is genuine freedom, a society which recognizes equality, a society that does not box women as ornamentals in tabloids and television...a society that does not enable violence and abuse. That is why the challenge for us is more than passing legislation. We need a comprehensive change on how we view women in our society.)

In closing, Brosas vowed that Gabriela party-list will remain the voice of women, especially the downtrodden. “Muli, pagbati sa lahat ng kababaihan mula sa Gabriela Women's Party! Abante, babae!”

Gabriela and other women's groups marked the day by holding protests to call for action on various issues, including low wages, red-tagging, and the transport strike. — BM, GMA Integrated News