Professor Phoebe Tan of Silliman University‘s Center for Gender Studies, during a Kapihan forum held recently by the Philippine Information Agency at the Women’s Center in the city, said there continues to be a need for women to have a voice in political affairs in the province and in the country.

Records show that women’s voter turnout rate is slightly higher than the men’s, but still there are only a few women running for government positions, according to Tan.

In the 2004 polls in Dumaguete City, only one female councilor was elected into office.

Of the 25 local chief executives in the province, there are only three women mayors and vice mayors, while in the House of Senate, only three of the 24 senators are female.

Tan said the low women participation of women in politics is largely due to how the Filipino tradition looks at women.

"Traditionally, women are seen as not good leaders, they are not fully recognized and delegated to work only in the homes. They are multiple burdened," said Tan.

She said that women who have the potential to become good government leaders are not inclined to enter politics. "There are women here who have the potential to win in the elections, but they are not willing to do so," lamented Tan.

Tan’s group has come up with a declaration of women’s needs and priorities which they plan to present to local candidates.

Tan said they plan to hold a candidates forum sometime in April. "We plan to show this document to the candidates and ask them if they can address our needs and priorities. Ang makada-ug amo paninglan," she stressed.

The declaration is a result of a gathering of women representatives of different local government units, agencies, non-government organizations and local councils for women provincewide last February.

In the same forum, Atty. Whelma Yap stressed that the "strength" of women in the province have the potential to initiate development in the community.

She cited the case of the women’s community in Apo Island. According to Yap, women are responsible for putting Apo Island on the map.

Yap recalls how, during her stint as consultant with the province’s Central Visayas Regional Project, the men in Apo Island refused to put up a sanctuary in the island. "So an interdisciplinary group intervened and educated the women in the island. Their husbands could not attend the workshops during the day as they were all sleeping after a night of fishing. So the women attended the workshops," she said.

The women kept convincing their husbands until the men eventually gave in to the sanctuary project. "Years after, there is now a huge change in the island. In fact, walay mabuhi na (beach) resort in the province if not for Apo Island," Yap said.

The Kapihan forum was held in celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8 of every year across developed and developing countries in recognition of the advancement of women’s rights while diligently reminding them of the continued vigilance and action ensuring that women’s equality is gained and maintained in all aspects of life.

Leonarda Camacho, head of the Committee on the Centeniial of the Feminist Movement in the Philippines that oversaw the preparations, said the commemoration is in recognition of the important role of women in society and to inspire the menfolk to respect and treat women as equals." (PIA)