Thousands mark Int’l Women’s Day centennial at Mendiola

MANILA, Philippines—Thousands of women and women’s rights advocates converged past noon Tuesday at the Don Chino Roces (formerly Mendiola) bridge in Manila to commemorate the centennial of International Women’s Day.

Some 4,500 members of Gabriela and other women’s organizations celebrated the centennial by denouncing the “prevailing dismal condition of women under the new Aquino administration.”

In a statement, Gabriela secretary-general Lana Linaban said, “This is the first time we observe women’s day under the Aquino administration. Today we highlight the hard-earned gains in the fight for women’s rights. Yet at the same time, we recognize that Filipino women are still shackled with oppression as hunger and violence continues to threaten them under a government that refuses to act on pertinent issues confronting the people.”

“Women are suffering from multiple blows as costs of food, oil, public transportation, utilities and other basic necessities keep on rising,” she stressed and challenged President Aquino to impose measures to mitigate the increasing cost of commodities.

Women’s organizations, likewise, demanded for the government to ensure full access to reproductive health services and information.

“Today’s militant action of women is like childbirth, a result of nine months of discontent with the Aquino administration’s inaction on pressing issues of women and the people. Today we show women power to push the incompetent and downright lazy president to act on people’s urgent needs,” Linaban concluded.