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Women against a woman president

Who says women are not good in Mathematics? Mothers always face the math of budgeting for her family. She is often troubled about how to divide her husband’s daily income of P205 (minimum daily wage in CAR) for food, water, medicines, transport fare and education expenses of their children. With the high prices of commodities, even Einstein would have had a hard time budgeting P205 a day for a family of five.

Thus, women are forced to find ways to earn additional income for their families. Women are forced to work abroad. Some even engage in anti-social activities to earn cash and be able to feed their family. The economic crisis has a double burden for women.

GMA is the second woman president of the country. Looking back, women were in the forefront of the struggle to unseat a womanizing and macho president (Erap) and this paved the way for a woman’s leadership. Many had expected that she would lead our nation into being a pro-woman and pro-people society.

But under the Arroyo regime, the situation of Filipino families has changed for the worse. In the four years of GMA’s governance, Filipinos continue to suffer from poverty brought about by the expanded Value-Added Tax, unemployment, price increase of oil and basic commodities and the deprivation of basic services. Political repression and violence against women is still prevalent.

Women are suffering more under a bogus, woman president. Women who had once taken pride in having a woman president now shun Mrs. Arroyo’s leadership. Evidence on her illegitimate presidency continues to surface. Corruption reached the highest levels of government. It is very clear that GMA has lost all moral authority to govern and majority of Filipinos do not trust her anymore.

The fact is the price of oil has risen 18 times only this year, that the country at present has reached its highest unemployment rate of 13.7, and a high inflation rate of 8.4%. In recent SWS survey, more and more Filipinos perceive that they are worse off under GMA’s regime.

This has led women from various sectors, organizations and political affiliations to demand Mrs. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s immediate resignation. Initiated by GABRIELA, they have formed the Women’s Movement for Arroyos Resignation and Regime Change (WOMEN MARCH). The women stated the need for a moral, transparent and pro-people governance.

Women March was launched last July 11, 2005, as the sector’s contribution to the peoples’ movement for the ouster of GMA. In their statement the women declared that as mothers and nurturers of life, they refuse to allow their children to inherit a government that tolerates fraud and corruption, a leadership that breads poverty, violence and injustice.

In Baguio City, Innabuyog -Gabriela actively participated in the Gloria Step Down Movement (GSM), an alliance of people’s organizations, church and individuals for the ouster of GMA. Lesbians for National Democracy (LesBond) and Pro-Gay Metro Baguio also formed the Gays and Lesbians for the Immediate Tsugi (ouster) of Gloria or GALIT GMA.

As part of the Filipino masses, women have all the right to demand for a government that can stabilize the prices of oil and basic commodities; a government that can provide gainful employment, higher wages, free, affordable and accessible social services; a government that promotes equality of men and women and eliminates all forms of discrimination and violence against women, children, minorities, gays and lesbians. It is about time, that women’s voices be heard, loud and clear. #

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