Women's Front: Time to act on the root cause of violence against women

3 MIN READ

By INNABUYOG-GABRIELA

November 25 is international day to end violence against women. It was first declared by women of Latin America in their gathering in 1981 to commemorate the death of the three Mirabal sisters (The Butterfiles) who were killed for opposing the dictatorship of Gen. Trujillo in the Dominican Republic on November 25, 1960. The declaration made by women from Latin America spread throughout the world and as such November 25 became an international day of action for the elimination of violence against women.

In 1991, through the Center for Women’s Global Leadership, women from 23 organizations gathered to declare November 25 to December 10 as 16 Days of Activism for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The UN General Assembly on December 17, 1999 designated November 25 as International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (IDEVAW).

In this year’s IDEVAW, we highlight the violence suffered by women due to increasing hunger and poverty. Majority of indigenous women in the Cordillera fall part of the 53% population of the Philippines who self-rate themselves as suffering from poverty (SWS) and 21.% who rate themselves as hungry. Economic reports say that 15 million of Filipinos live on US $1 a day or only about P45 while 40 million Filipinos live on US $2 a day (P90). The government justifies that a Filipino can live with P39 a day (less than US $1).

Majority of women wallow in poverty and hunger, yet it was easy for Malacañang to distribute bribe money amounting from P200,000 to P500,000 each to local government officials and members of the House of Representatives. This happened at a time when new impeachment proceedings and the anomalous ZTE-NBN contract became the subject of criticisms.

In the midst of an increasing poverty, the Arroyo government has yet to answer graft and corruption charges against her government including the alleged involvement of her husband in financial scams.

The Philippines has been rated the most corrupt government in Asia a few years back and a World Bank report says that at least 20% of the national budget is eaten up by corruption. This is bureaucrat capitalism at work where those in power are running government as if it was a private business venture.

The unresolved issue of corruption in government bureaucracy indeed contributes to the hunger and poverty of the common women. There exist already the problem in budget prioritization where the most needed budget areas for women like basic social services get the least allocation. Economic programs have yet to reach the poorest section of women.

Stretching of the family budget is already impossible and this is even made more difficult with the recent oil price hike making it the 16th increase in prices of gasoline products this year and a total increase of P10.00 per liter of gasoline this year. Diesel, kerosene and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) prices have hiked 13 times with a total of P6.60 per liter of diesel products and P6.30 per kilo of LPG. Given the wide-ranging effects on the economy, the most to suffer will be the ordinary women wage-earners, farmers, small entrepreneurs, drivers and their families.

What we see is lesser food on the table, inability to seek medical and other important services, and a bleak Christmas for their families.

Hunger and poverty now comes as the number one violence against women and children. This violence of hunger and poverty makes women and children vulnerable to other forms of violence like domestic, sexual, mental and psychological violence. With corruption eating up the people’s money, what services do distressed women expect from government? When they raise their voices, they face political repression calling these acts as acts of terrorism.

The 16 Days of Activism for the Elimination of Violence Against Women is a time to act on the cause of our violence. Let this be a time to get women’s attention on the oil price hikes, on the corruption issues, on livelihood, services and welfare and security for women.

We also join the widows and orphans of victims of political killings, Pepe Manegdeg and Albert Terredaño, who are still crying for justice, two years after their slay on November 27 and 28, 2005 respectively. Let us bring to the public and get their support for the three House Bills against the oil price increase proposed by the progressive party list groups, Gabriela Women’s Party, Bayan Muna and Anakpawis, which will be filed to the Congress on November 26.#