Herstory: Filipino Women Who Broke the Glass Ceiling for Others
As a woman, I feel a deep sense of pride whenever I hear the words “first” and “woman” together. Throughout history, women have fought to be included in places that once told them they did not belong and tried to silence them. Every achievement we celebrate today is built on decades of women refusing to be held back. I also feel a strong sense of rage for the women who came before us, who gave up so much so we could have the necessities we have today.
When we talk about progress across generations, it is easy to think that society has only recently changed. You might nod as you see women and girls today quietly challenge old systems. Some are the first in their bloodline to choose independence as default rather than exception. Others are the first to view marriage as a choice rather than a requirement. Some are the first to be honest about who they are or to stop romanticizing their parents’ struggles. Some are the first in their families to live life on their own terms. But this shift did not happen overnight. It took many generations, often in ways that were hard to see but always present. Our generation moves differently today because the women before us changed the path long before we started down it. As I thought about this, I kept coming back to a certain group of women who greatly reshaped Philippine society.
Women as Reformers and Educators
Women in politics have shown us the importance of civility, respect for differences, and decision-making that draws on different perspectives, and the late Senator Santanina Tillah Rasul showed us that. She was one of the prominent Moro women who dedicated her life to literacy, peace, development, and women’s rights. She served in several government roles, representing Muslims and cultural minorities. These included serving as Commissioner of the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women (NCRFW) from 1976 to 1985; serving as UNESCO Honorary Ambassador in 1990; serving at the UNESCO Philippine Commission from 1986 to 1989; and serving as a member on the Textbook Board at the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Sports in 1986. She was the first and only Muslim woman to serve in the Philippine Senate and the first Muslim to be reelected, serving from 1992 to 1995. Senator Santanina also authored several landmark laws, such as R.A. 7192, which ended gender discrimination, allowed women to enter the Philippine Military Academy, and provided funding for women in all government agencies. Other laws she helped pass include R.A. No. 6850, which grants civil service eligibility to government employees with at least 7 years of service, and R.A. 7168, which converted the Philippine Normal College into a State University to be known as the Philippine Normal University. Not many may know this, but it was Santanina Rasul who sponsored R.A. 6949, which declared March 8 as National Women’s Day, later expanded into a month-long celebration of empowerment and gender equality. Even after her tenure in the Senate, Santanina Rasul continued her lifelong mission to combat illiteracy through the Magbasa Kita Foundation, a program she spearheaded to uplift communities in Mindanao.
Education for all was also Bai Hadja Fatima Matabay Plang’s advocacy. She established the Mindanao Institute of Technology (MIT), now known as the University of Southern Mindanao (USM), in 1951. Today, the university is recognized as one of the country’s leading schools for agricultural education. More than 20 years after her passing in 1984, the two schools she started continue to serve as centers of excellence, giving many students from low-income families the chance to pursue their dreams and improve their lives through education. Just like Santanina Rasul, Bai Hadja devoted her entire life to helping others by expanding access to education, especially in rural communities.
There was also the late Senator Leticia Ramos-Shahani, who made a major impact on Philippine laws, especially in supporting and protecting women. She helped shape the global women’s agenda when she served as the first representative (1967-1975), then later became Chair (1986-198) of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UN CSW). As the former Chair of the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women (NCRFW), Leticia Shahani contributed to drafting the Declaration on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in 1967. The NCRFW was renamed as the Philippine Commission on Women under R.A. 9710, or the Magna Carta of Women, in 2009. This declaration laid the foundation for the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), recognized as the international bill of rights for women. Leticia Shahani authored several laws, including R.A. 6725, the “Strengthening the Prohibition of Discrimination Against Women in the Workplace”; R.A. 8353, the “Anti-Rape Law of 1997”; and R.A. 8505, the “Rape Victim Assistance and Protection Act of 1998.” She championed the Gender and Development (GAD) Budget Policy, which stipulates that at least 5% of each government agency’s total budget be allocated to advancing women’s rights and gender equality. As a diplomat and legislator, late Senator Shahani’s influence reached beyond the Philippines when she led the 1985 World Conference on Women in Nairobi, making her an important leader in shaping gender equality policies and fighting gender-based violence.
Women as Mediators
When conflict arises, women and young girls are often the most at risk of gender-based violence. Yet, people sometimes overlook the important role women play in resolving conflicts. Women draw upon their interpersonal skills and knowledge of customary norms to facilitate dialogue. One of the many great examples of women mediators is the late Princess Tarhata Alonto-Lucman. She was known as a “rido settler,” helping to settle clan disputes. Princess Tarhata believed so deeply in interfaith dialogue and peace that she worked to build stronger relationships between Muslims and Christians, reaching beyond her own community. In 1971, she became the first Muslim woman to serve as provincial governor of Lanao del Sur. She was one of the Moro leaders who stood up to the Marcos dictatorship and helped the release of the kidnapped Filipino Carmelite nuns and an American Protestant missionary in Marawi City in 1986. Through her bravery and commitment to peace, Tarhata was the last woman among Mindanao’s post-war leaders who promoted alliance politics and a collective way of life that helped the Moro people survive government neglect, civil war, and ongoing economic hardship.
Women as Brave Leaders
Women’s impact on history goes far beyond well-known Filipina revolutionaries. Women have always led in homes, communities, non-profits, and businesses, often guiding their people. One example is Princess Hadja Tarhata Kiram, the first Filipina Muslim leader. During her time, the colonial government wanted to educate these Muslim youth to become the next generation of Moro leaders who would help “civilize” their fellow Muslims in the southern islands. Consequently, she was chosen as a pensionado and sent to the United States in 1920, along with Carmen Aguinaldo, the daughter of former President Emilio Aguinaldo. After finishing her studies at the State University of Illinois, she returned to Sulu and became a strong advocate for Muslims. She wrote an editorial for the Los Angeles Times about the uprising and her involvement. Kiram also worked with the late Senator Hadji Butu Rasul, Chief Minister to the Sultan of Sulu and the great-grandfather of the late Ambassador Abraham Rasul Sr. (Santanina Rasul’s husband), to oppose efforts to exclude the Sulu archipelago from Mindanao. In 1984, the National Historical Institute placed a marker in her hometown of Jolo to honor her lifelong dedication to Muslim Filipinos.
Remembering the Women Before Us
The struggle for equality has taken a long time. The independence that many women have now came about through actions that were often uncomfortable, unconventional, or even risky. Womanhood is not only about being gentle and caring; it often involves great sacrifice. Women pay a gender tax just to live. Society often praises these sacrifices without asking why women are always the ones expected to give so much. The quiet labor of survival and participation is always gendered, and people call it love so they do not have to call it injustice.
This is not to say that women are better leaders than men. Women lead differently, and that difference is exactly what our world needs now if we want to heal the damage being done in society. The courage of women in seeking freedom and agency is not new, and we inherit it from those who came before us. In this Women’s Month, we must also remember the women who were forgotten or not recorded in our history, including indigenous women.