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| Photo by the Author |
“I never once thought that my sex or my gender would be a hindrance.”
These were the words of Sen. Risa Hontiveros in an interview with Cosmopolitan Philippines. Looking back on her younger days, she mentioned how she was affected by the traditional stereotypes that surrounded her generation. But what mattered more to her were the influences of those who encouraged her to “follow her bliss.” Fast forward to now, Sen. Risa is a multi-awarded public servant; an author of various seminal laws on women, mental health, and children; an unwavering ally of the LGBTQIA+ community; and a Nobel Peace Prize nominee.
As Sen. Risa notes, it is important for women to claim space and hold that space for other women too. This thought helps to make us realize that driving gender parity and embracing equity takes a village—the work of ensuring that no one gets left behind will not come to fruition when we call upon only a select few. But it is also important to acknowledge how power plays a role in either dismantling or perpetuating a system that works against equity and inclusion. For this reason, enacting equity-based policies is crucial. More importantly, putting people in power who enact equity-based policies is crucial. For us women, space holds both literal and figurative importance. The value of having women in leadership roles cannot be overstated as they offer unique perspectives underpinned by the experience of overcoming trials and barriers. But above all, it’s not just about women having a seat at the table—it’s about women flipping the tables or making better tables to help gather others in the conversation because clearly, the current system in our society is faulty.
In celebration of International Women’s Day 2023 with the theme #EmbraceEquity, I reached out to women student leaders in the CASA community for their insights on the question, “How can we embrace gender equity in the Philippines?” Here are the voices of those who answered:
Cristina Angela Manlangit
She/Her
UST-CASA’s Executive Coordinator to the Vice President for External Affairs
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| Photo by Cristina Angela Manlangit |
In the Philippines, we still live in a patriarchal society and this becomes restrictive to the fulfillment of women’s needs and the support we should be receiving in all aspects within our communities. I personally believe that gender equity is anchored on empowerment. We can embrace it by standing up for one another instead of keeping silent. There are already too many obstacles in our way and I think we, women, should not allow ourselves to become one to each other. We need alliances to strengthen our voices and eventually change the systems in place to better address our needs without stepping on anyone.
Rachelle Ann Bustillos
She/Her
UST-CASA Retorika’s Senior Guild Head
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| Photo by Rachelle Ann Bustillos |
In embracing these notions in our country, we must be able to open more advancements for women not just in basic needs. Say for example, I really appreciate how women have a separate wagon in MRTs because it’s obvious how hard it is for us to join men especially in rush hours. I know, I’ve experienced it. But to make the conversation deeper, we must see the outliers that are present nowadays. For the longest time, men have this certain advantage that are visible and that’s the reason that equality is not the playing field that we must seek, but rather equity. I think we have to create opportunities that are not limited to the stereotypes that society have, like beauty pageants. There’s a ton of sports that women can excel only if they have been given a slight advantage in terms of acceptance and honor. Women are leaders, it’s high time that we recognize that.
Elyana Faye Batungbacal
She/Her
UST-CASA Chronicle’s Literary Editor
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| Photo by Elyana Faye Batungbacal |
I believe that ridding ourselves of preconceived notions and prejudices about gender is the first step and also the step that requires the most dedication from us. While it is easy to think that in this day and age, we have evolved and are more accepting of people of all genders, a lot still have only the two basic genders in mind. The moment we start accepting and respecting the unequivocal, objective truth that gender comes in many forms and that no amount of hormones and medical treatments, or even its absence, makes anyone less of their gender - only then can we fully embrace gender equity.
Erin Reilly Kraft
She/Her/They/Them
UST-CASA’s Executive Associate to the Chief-of-Staff
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| Photo by Erin Reilly Kraft |
In a highly conservative country deeply influenced by generations and generations of patriarchal norms, achieving gender equity is definitely not a walk in the park. Of course, we’ve already made great progress, but we still have a long way to go. Gender equity is not merely about fairness among men and women—it is not the mere satisfaction of seeing women plumbing, men doing the laundry, nor queer shows on TV—rather, it entails love, acceptance, and respect that encompasses all regardless of their SOGIE, race, class, and condition. Gender equity is genuine and unconditional. Gender equity is upholding human rights.
Lei Janine De Guzman
She/Her
UST-CASA Multimedia’s Co-Guild Head
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| Photo by Lei Janine De Guzman |
Beliefs and notions of gender start when we are young. I believe that to embrace gender equity in our country, formation should start both at home and institutions. For instance, adults at home should set an example in treating people of different genders. In institutions, gender equity can be ingrained into the curriculum, such as contemporary issues, social studies, and the like. Additionally, an open mind should be expected for grown ups as well, since we are the ones to break the ground for the next generations.
Louise Elaine Legaspi
She/Her/They/Them
UST-CASA’s Secretary
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| Photo by JV Labandia |
I think first and foremost, people need to understand the difference between equity and equality because they really are two separate things. I think through this, the discourse about gender inequality would be easier because more people would understand that some genders have to have more rights in order for everyone to be considered equal. Other than that, I think we should also stop comparing our experiences with each other. Tama na yung "Luh parang 'yan lang, eh kami nga..." kasi lahat naman tayo magkakaiba, it's not a contest so why should we constantly one-up each other when we could all work together to fight the continuing injustice.
Michelle Anne Cruz
She/Her
UST-CASA Chronicle’s Managing Editor
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| Photo by Michelle Anne Cruz |
I think that it really starts in two things; first, it starts in the home and it starts in the educational system. First, bakit sa home? Kasi as kids, dito natin natututunan ang ating mga beliefs, dito tayo naiinfluence kung what is right and what is wrong. And at the same time, it starts in our educational system… In our developmental years, doon natin siya mostly iniispend, we spend more time in school than in our home, so if in the educational system itself ay hindi tama ang turo when it comes to gender equity, nagkakaroon ng problema not with just one kid but imagine how many students are being influenced that way. So, with that, I think it’s really important that we look into our educational system and at the same time, the culture, and the beliefs that are being ingrained in the typical Filipino family.
Neala Elisha Calinawan
She/Her
UST CASA’s Executive Coordinator to the Vice President for Internal Affairs
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| Photo by Neala Elisha Calinawan |
To embrace gender equity in the Philippines, it is important to shed light on our differences and provide opportunities to reach our full potential. We must create safe spaces for healthy dialogue and advocate for allocating these opportunities to produce equal outcomes, especially for those members of underprivileged communities that have been denied this treatment. Due to social norms, customs, and behaviors, achieving and embracing gender equity in our country appear challenging but we must seek to address these barriers in order to reduce the gap and guarantee that every individual will be recognized for their contributions in all areas.
To read the first part of this series, click here.
