[OPINION] Not all female leaders are feminists
Every week, PhilSTAR L!fe explores issues and topics from the perspectives of different age groups, encouraging healthy but meaningful conversations on why they matter. This is Generations by our Gen Z columnist Angel Martinez.
Former president Rodrigo Duterte’s arrest this week is not only a victory for the victims of his alleged extrajudicial killings and the families they left behind, but it’s also vengeance for women everywhere: the very people he and his supporters oppressed and objectified throughout his term.
A true poster child for chauvinism, Duterte has ordered his troops to shoot female rebels in their privates, peppered many a speech with rape jokes, and violated personal boundaries for sh*ts and giggles (See: him planting a kiss on a supporter during a state visit to South Korea). Female critics bore the brunt of his anger, as evidenced by how he threw former senator Leila de Lima behind bars on the basis of fabricated charges, rallied behind the removal of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, and ordered the swift shutdown of Maria Ressa’s Rappler.
In a way, his detention feels symbolic, as if we are finally closing the chapter on his misanthropic brand of governance. The Philippines, after all, is a world leader in gender parity, ranking 25th in the latest Global Gender Gap Report: the highest for a country in Southeast Asia. Economic and political participation rates are exceptional, with women in seats of power across all branches of government. It’s about time we started acting like it!
In another life, this representation would be enough. During the time of third-wave feminism, which emerged in the early 1990s, the main goal was to address the shortage of women in positions of power. Evidence shows that their increased presence is not only a logical step in fostering equality in the decision-making process but an indicator of better social welfare outcomes. “Many saw [this time] as hopeful proof that old, rigid structures were finally weakening,” sociologist Athena Charanne “Ash” Presto tells PhilSTAR L!fe. “After all, seeing women thriving in spaces dominated by men can resemble real change.”
This is especially true in the Philippines, where patriarchal norms still heavily shape the political sphere. Female candidates have always needed to exert more effort in gaining the trust and confidence of the Filipino people. We’re a populace that has long preferred the strongman, even among women in power: it’s why the majority has gravitated towards Vice President Sara Duterte’s masculine self-presentation, rather than former Vice President Leni Robredo’s motherly image.
But a quick look at the track records of the women who have served us reveals a sad truth: their political careers are not as progressive as we deem them to be. In a conversation between Nicole Curato and Dr. Maria Tanyag for New Mandala, they identify that “it’s not just men who are reversing as well as [impeding] progress for gender equality issues. It involves the complicity of women, particularly the elite and conservative.”
Take, for example, former Presidents Corazon Aquino and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo—women of privilege from powerful families. Their detachment from concerns on the ground has led to questionable stances on fundamental women’s rights and issues, which adversely affected those from lower classes.
Aquino’s role as the country’s first female head of state has been called “largely ceremonial or peripheral”, having appointed only one woman to her cabinet. She was reluctant regarding matters such as population control or divorce, perhaps due to her religious beliefs. Arroyo, a fellow devout Catholic, has vocally opposed the RH Bill and encouraged allies to do the same.
“Intersectionality [the idea that sociopolitical identities such as race, class, and gender intersect to create unique systems of oppression], helps us understand how women leaders can inadvertently or even intentionally harm marginalized groups,” Presto explains. This could encompass Indigenous women, women with disabilities, and activists facing government suppression who grapple with today’s challenges at an amplified level compared to the more privileged.
Other female politicians have also fallen victim to their own blind spots: Cynthia Villar supposedly advocates for economic empowerment but voted for the passage of the TRAIN Law, jacking up the cost of living. Imee Marcos furthers her family’s agenda of historical revisionism, refusing to acknowledge how their ill-gotten wealth plunged the country into debt. Senator Pia Cayetano routinely defended former President Duterte’s crass behavior, saying that he “has done a lot for women’s rights in Davao City” when he was mayor.
All aforementioned leaders hail from political dynasties. A 2017 study suggests that they tend to be more in affinity to their kin than to women’s issues. If, by some incredible stroke of misfortune, Sara Duterte ends up becoming the third female president of the republic, she will most likely follow the same path.
Presto suggests putting these people off their respective pedestals, as “this tokenism creates quick wins instead of real, lasting change against a patriarchal setting.” Instead, do the deep work: pull up historical data or responses in debates or interviews. What have they actually done to help marginalized communities? What are the long-term, intersectional impacts of their ideas? Do they stand in solidarity with marginalized groups, or are their associations only ever linked to media appearances? “Pay attention, as well, to what they say and do under pressure. Leaders show their true colors in tough times,” she advises.
Unfortunately, someone in power will not advance women’s interests by mere virtue of being a woman. One’s gender does not grant one a certain degree of morality: female politicians are just as capable of inflicting lasting harm on the Filipino people, whether by blocking policies that could improve their living conditions or aligning with questionable figures for their personal gain.
It’s up to us voters to redefine what feminist leadership really means: a movement no longer concerned with filling in as many seats as possible but ensuring that the women who need it most benefit from what’s on the table.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the opinions of PhilSTAR L!fe, its parent company and affiliates, or its staff.
Generations by Angel Martinez appears weekly at PhilSTAR L!fe.
