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15 years of militant women’s struggle in the Cordillera

Innabuyog-Gabriela , the regional alliance of women’s organizations in the Cordillera, is holding its 5th regional congress on October 19-21, 2005. The 5th congress is taking place on the 15th year of Innabuyog’s unwavering commitment to uphold the rights and welfare of women from the democratic sectors in the Cordillera.

During the last 15 years, Innabuyog went through rough times and hard challenges. We confronted the issues of militarization, state terrorism, economic problems brought about by the national government’s lopsided and pro-imperialist economic programs and globalization. Internally, we lost some ground during the early years because of errors in orientation brought about by a shallow understanding of the women’s situation in the Cordillera. This led to anti-male tendencies, which caused disunity in the communities rather than building a deeper understanding of the women question. This was also a result of western feminist influences, which we brought down to the community level, while lacking a correct analysis of the concrete conditions in the Cordillera and the Philippines, which is necessary in order to liberate the wider society of which women are part.

Despite these trials, the women’s alliance survived and persisted because of the courage and determination of its leaders and members to overcome and win every battle.

Innabuyog was at the center of the indigenous peasant women’s assertion of the right to land, life and resources. We were at the center of upholding the rights of women workers and semi-workers to jobs, livelihood and basic social services. We were with the women professionals in fighting for their rights to job security and welfare as employees in government agencies and as teachers in educational institutions. We upheld the right of women students and youth to education. We advocated for the rights of lesbians against homophobia and against their exploitation as workers and professionals. We gave our support to the struggle of women migrant workers who were victims of the oppressive Labor Export Policy of the government. In all these sectors of women, we condemned the different forms of violence against women—economic, political, physical, psychological and socio-cultural violence. We asserted that the different forms of violence against women were a result of the prevailing feudal-patriarchal and bourgeois-decadent attitudes towards women engendered by the semi-colonial and semi-feudal Philippine society.

In our 15 years of educating, organizing and mobilizing women, we grew to more than 98 women’s organizations in different parts of theCordillera, from an original 24 founding member organizations in March 1990. Women leaders at varying levels rose from the ranks of indigenous peasants, workers, urban poor, youth and students and professionals. We developed the basic women’s orientation course for Cordillera, which serves as the basic material for empowering women to work collectively and militantly. We launched the Women Rights Campaign that encompassed urgent issues of women like militarization, state terrorism and human rights, economic crisis and specific issues of violence against women. We actively took part in the Purple Rose Campaign that exposed sex-trafficking of Filipino women and children. We launched the Blow-a-Whistle Campaign against Violence on Women. We continue to carry the basic demands of indigenous peasant women for the right to land and food.

We brought the various issues of women to different fora in the communities, workplaces, streets, plazas and conferences and linked up with other women’s organizations and institutions within the region, national and even international level. We continue to participate in actions against imperialist globalization which is being pursued by the Philippine government and international financial and trade organizations like the WB-IMF and WTO.

Innabuyog will continue to carry the torch of the militant women’s movement in the Cordillera. We will persevere until we achieve victory for the peoples’ movement in the region and nation for self-determination, freedom and national democracy. It is only when the people are victorious that women in the Cordillera can enjoy genuine freedom from violence and exploitation. We will continue to contribute the most we can to the wider women’s and peoples’ movement in the global struggle against the forces of imperialism that oppress and exploit the toiling women of the world.

One urgent task that Innabuyog presently shares with other Filipinos is the national campaign to oust Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo from power as a step to alleviate the economic violence and repression of women.

Thus, on our 5th regional congress, we bear the theme—15 Years of Militant Women’s Struggles in the Cordillera: Persevere in the Struggle for Land, Food and Rights! OUST GMA! #

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