Women on Top

Subersibo
Michelle Licudine

We grew up to be domesticated. Parts of that rearing are those unwritten rules that say we should maintain good boobs, butts and long blond or black hair because women of beauty are shining trophies. And worst, we were taught to be docile because arguing is unfeminine.

For so long, through the various oppressive societies, autocrats have degraded us, for it is in their interest. But even this harsh culture constructed against women did not hinder women's involvement in the movement. Revolutionary women though the ages may not have won our liberation and may not have dismantled the exploitative system, yet what they started inspires us still. They are women who did not just read the history of class war but revolted against the oppressive classes.

All we learned from our history classes in grade school was that women made and designed the flag for the liberation movement during the revolution against Spanish colonialism. We were not told the truth that there were women among the leaders of the revolution.

There were the likes of Gabriela Silang, a woman who did not just mourn her husband's death but held the revolver to lead the army against foreign tyranny. There were the likes of a woman who did not just became a good mother to Jose Rizal, but defied the Spanish autocracy in our country, by declining to accept the life-time pension offered by the Philippine Legislature. With dignity and conviction she stated, "My family has never been patriotic for the money. If the government has plenty of funds and does not know what to do with it, better reduce taxes."

Some women even used their talents in singing and dancing to deceive the Guardia Civil and to allow the Katipunan to continue with their secret meetings.

Many imperialists invaded the country; but the people—including women—still struggled to fight against them. They never had second thoughts; they raised a strong fist for democracy and equality even during the dark days of the dictatorship.

In the course of history, different revolutionary women have made their mark in the struggle: Liliosa Hilao, Lorena Barros, Teta Fernandez, including a woman named Milleth.

Milleth may not be a familiar name, but she made a forceful statement. She did not just fight for democracy against the Marcos dictatorship, but fought to dismantle the exploitative system that have degraded us for centuries. She was a member of their local union but soon became an organizer for the emancipation of the working class. Milleth was illegally arrested by the Metrocom, but that did not hinder her participation in the struggle and the movement. Her arrest even made her a stronger revolutionary, as she says in one of her remarkable statements: "Nariyan ang pakikibaka ng kababaihang manggagawa sa Anson Emporium, Ding Velayo, Redson at iba pa noong panahon ng welga, na hindi natinag kahit nakatikim sila ng pasismo ng militar. Mga kababaihan na hindi lamang nagpapatali sa usaping pampagawaan kundi nakikiisa at nakikilahok na rin sa usaping panlipunan sapagkat batid natin na hindi mababago ang aping kalagayan sa pagawaan, maging sa tahanan, kung hindi natin babaguhin ang sistemang umiiral sa ating lipunan." Milleth was a proletarian because she did not just fight for her own interest, but of the workers as a whole. She inspired the revolutionary element in those whom she organized.

For all the women who served the people, they are the "women on top." They are not just women who fought for their rights, they also served the movement to end tyranny. They struggled to end the unendurable pain of the toiling masses brought about by the system. They fought to ensure equality among men and women, that the masses shall not be exploited, that the children for the new generation would have adequate knowledge and would know the real meaning of human value.

Why didn't these women just call for women liberation and radicalization?

Those women rose to a remarkable rank and position in the revolutionary movement. They are in stark contrast to the women of the elite.

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is a woman who sits in power supposedly for us, but she would rather pose like a real macho hero for a magazine. What she does not understand is that we do not need a super model or a super hero.

Gloria's pose is meant for her to look like the "Men in Black" to make us feel that she and the men behind her are saviors of the Filipino people. But no matter how much she strikes a pose to make us feel like she's a strong woman, the poverty that the Filipino people suffer is unbearable.

The government under her administration has failed to find an alternative to the dire crisis we are experiencing right now. It is the habit of the government to give us a positive report on the status of the economy. But the workers' wages do not suffice for decent meals to eat. The level of unemployment is rising because factories are laying off workers. Still the population of child laborers is growing fast. In her SONA, she promised "edukasyon para sa lahat" but the privatization of the state colleges and universities is scheduled for the next three years while in the private schools, the cost of tuition is so high that even a medium income earning family couldn't afford. But above all, almost half of our national budget goes to paying the foreign and local debt, thus the government is trapped in a ballooning budget deficit.

They have tried to hide the real score on what she and her cabinet have done, but still they could not hide the taste of the bitter pill of reality.

Revolutionary women are remarkable women for they sacrificed themselves in battle for a just and democratic system, for they chose to serve the working class and the marginalized sectors. They chose to fight for the interest of the majority, and this is what Gloria chose not to fight for.

If a woman is placed at the highest post of the land and yet the majority of women are still exploited, then it shows that having a female president does not ensure women's liberation. The feminist struggle is not a battle for the highest position but a fight against the exploitative system that degrades us and keeps us docile.

The women's struggle will not advance unless we fight against the exploitative system. We can start by winning democratic rights here and there. We must build a government of the people to ensure the defense and improvement of women's rights. Half of the population is women. If we do not fight to end the root cause then we will not be able to advance our plight and position in society.

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Isang beterana ng People Power 2, si Michelle ay mula sa Sanlakas-Youth.

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