8/14/2019 2009 International Women's Day

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In Celebration of The International Women’s Day:

Long live the women’s liberation movement!

by Ramon T. Ayco

(First published in my column on “Pinoy Reporter” March 2009 issue)

When I was a child, I was surrounded by girls.First was my mother (Pilar), then my twoeldest sisters (Ate Isabel and Fe), and next tome was my younger sister (Dalisay). Of course my father was the highest authority inthe family, but he didn’t always botherhimself in rearing children. So my motherwas the real authority in terms of parent-children relationship.

But my eldest sisters, Ate Isabel and Ate Fe,are my real mentors: the one who disciplinedme and act as my teachers in home. Withregards to my youngest sister, Dalisay, shewas my playmate at home and I always act asa guard to protect her. And I loved them.

So this is one of the foundations of my

thinking and belief as a person: women areauthorities and must be obeyed;disciplinarians and teachers; and playmates.They have to be l oved. Maybe that’s why I’mso friendly with girls. I have been anadvocate of feminism and women’sliberation movement for a long time until

This photo was taken in Jolo, Sulo, my mother ’shometown. From left: Ate Isabel, my mother Pilarcarrying baby Dalisay, then Ate Fe. I am the boy in front.

now. One of my best compositions is “BABAE” (Women). If you want to hear it, try to visit myother websites: www.ramonayco.multiply.com and www.ramonayco.webs.com. You can alsoread one of my writings there entitled “Women’s Problems and the Feminist Movement”. Youcan also watch my videos in my YOUTUBE account at www.youtube.com/ramonayco .

As the world celebrates Marc h as women’s month and March 8 as women’s day, we have torecall again women’s sufferings and their struggle for liberation.

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During the first stage of human society which is known as “primitive communalism” in politicaleconomy, women were the authorities in the communities. But in the next stages which arecategorize as “class societies”, the status of w omen began to turn upside down.

During the slave society, women were treated like an ordinary commodities being sold naked in

public market. During the feudal age, women were confined to the domestic sphere, whilepublic life was reserved for men. In medieval Europe, women were denied the right to ownproperty, to study, or to participate in public life. At the end of the 19th century in France, theywere still compelled to cover their heads in public, and, in parts of Germany, a husband still hadthe right to sell his wife.

Even as late as the early 20th century, women in the United States, as in Europe, could neithervote nor hold elective office. Women were prevented from conducting business without a malerepresentative, be it father, brother, husband, legal agent, or even son. Married women could

not exercise control over their own children without the permission of their husbands.Moreover, women had little or no access to education and were barred from most professions.In some parts of the world, such restrictions on women continue today.

In many counties, women were required to wear veils in public. Forced marriage waswidespread. In China, female infanticide was a common practice. In India, they practice widowburning. In Africa, clitoridectomy or surgery of clitoris was a tradition.

Yet despite this horrible status of women in society, there were some who were courageousenough to struggle for the equal rights of women. Advocates of equality of the sexes and the

rights of women can be found throughout history. The recognition for women as equal citizensenjoying every civil right available to men, including the right to vote and the right to run foroffice was gained through arduous and militant struggle of women first in the United Statedand Europe and then in the rest of the world.

In the Philippines, Filipino women gained their right to vote and to run for office on Sept. 15,1937. Filipinas was the first women in Asia to won the right to suffrage, and this was a productof a long and arduous women’s struggle. Former President Corazon Aquino and the presentpresident Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo should thank the Philippine women’s liberation movement,for without this their success were impossible.

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