Women have had enough of Duterte’s leadership, says group
MANILA, Philippines — Filipino women had more than enough of President Rodrigo Duterte’s policies and pronouncements, a women’s group said Friday as it urged the female population to fight back the “macho-fascist” government.
During the country’s celebration of the International Women’s Day, Gabriela Secretary General Joms Salvador said that women have had enough of Duterte’s policies that “figuratively and literally kill women and their families.”
These, according to her, include the new tax reform law, the deadly war on drugs, as well as the president’s disregard of women’s dignity through his remarks.
She said that women would be active in rejecting Duterte’s policies and government.
“Women are coming together to find their voices and shout as one. We will not allow our families to go hungry, jobless and homeless,” Salvador said.
The women’s rights leader added: “We cannot allow politicians to get richer and even top Forbes’ list of billionaires at the expense of our people. Women will fight back and we can succeed if we do it together.”
Enabling environment
In his statement for the International Women’s Day, the chief executive—who has been criticized for his sexist and misogynistic remarks—called on institutions to address the strategic needs of women and recognize their innumerable contributions to society.
“This important occasion reminds us all to pave the way for an enabling environment for women to be empowered and to make sure that the Magna Carta for Women is properly implemented at all levels of government,” Duterte said.
He added: “We must also create and facilitate platforms to discuss best practices, gaps and challenges in pursuing gender and development in local government units all over the country.”
Duterte has been slammed for ordering soldiers to shoot female rebels “in the vagina,” kissing a married overseas Filipina worker, bragging about attempting to touch his maid when he was younger, among others.
Beyond legislation
The Commission on Human Rights, for its part, recognized “wins” on women’s welfare and rights under the current administration. These include the signing of the expanded maternity leave law, support for the national family planning program, executive order to accelerate the implementation of Reproductive Health Law and the support for the Magna Carta for Women.
But CHR Spokesperson Jacqueline De Guia stressed the “genuine appreciation for the worth of women and their rights go beyond pieces of legislation.”
“Women continue to bear the brunt of misogynistic remarks and are often subjects of rape jokes, which, at times, translate to catcalling and other forms of harassment online and in the streets,” De Guia said.
She added: “The ongoing anti-drug campaign equally impacts women in communities—they are forced to single-handedly raise a family when confronted with the loss of fathers, sons, or brothers due to alleged extrajudicial killings.”
Women and rights organizations have repeatedly slammed Duterte for his “vile remarks” toward women, saying such comments from the country’s most powerful man encourage objectification and violence against them.
The CHR spokesperson is hoping that the occasion would remind everyone of the “continuing gaps” faced by every woman around the world.
“May this occasion also stress the obligation of the government to uphold the welfare of women and affirm the commitment to recognise women’s rights as human rights,” De Guia said.
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