Women in the Philippines gained the right to the full political process in 1937. Nearly a decade later the country acquired independence from the United States and continued to advance the rights of women. In 1975, The Philippine Commission on Women was formed by the government to advocate for gender parity and promote women’s basic human rights. In 1986, Maria Corazon Sumulong Cojuangco Aquino became the first female President of the Philippines, as well as the first female head of government in all of Asia. She restored democracy to the country, and during the first year of her presidency appointed a committee to draft a new constitution. Section 14 of the new and current constitution declares, “The State recognizes the role of women in nation-building, and shall ensure the fundamental equality before the law of women and men.” In 2001, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was elected the country’s second female president where she served for nine years. During her presidency, the Magna Carta of Women (MCW) was signed into law. The MCW is “a comprehensive women’s human rights law that seeks to eliminate discrimination through the recognition, protection, fulfillment, and promotion of the rights of Filipino women, especially those belonging in the marginalized sectors of society.” In the 2021 Global Gender Gap Report, which measures economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment, the Philippines ranked an impressive 17 out of 156 countries. However, this number has steadily declined over the past five years. In 2016, before the current administration was elected to office, the country ranked seventh on the Report. Today, the Filipino president’s blatant misogyny and verbal degradation of women have reinforced a patriarchal structure that the country worked for generations to eliminate. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, over the past five years, violence against women has risen, and female unemployment rates have increased. Fortunately, advocacy groups like the GABRIELA National Alliance of Women, the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates, and the Women’s Legal and Human Rights Bureau, are working to hold the government to account while upholding the rights guaranteed to Filipino women under the law.

Traditionally, men have dominated the sports sector in the Philippines, with gender discrimination and pay inequities plaguing female athletes. However, Filipino sportswomen continue to break barriers, establishing themselves as true competitors on the world’s stage while often outperforming their male counterparts. For example, in the 2018 Asian Games, 12 out of the country’s 18 medals were won by women. Female athletes first competed in the Olympics in 1956 and the Paralympics in 2000. Adeline Dumapong was the first woman to represent the Philippines and win a medal in the Paralympic Games when she brought home the bronze in powerlifting at the 2000 Sydney Games. Hidilyn Diaz won silver in the 53 kg weightlifting event at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, becoming the first Filipino female athlete to win an Olympic medal. Diaz won gold and set two Olympic records in the 55 kg weightlifting category at the 2020 Tokyo Games. The Philippines National Soccer team qualified for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, after their semi-final appearance in the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup. It will be the national team’s first time participating in the World Cup. Bowler, Olivia “Bong” Coo, is the most decorated athlete in Filipino history. She is a four-time world champion, five-time Asian Games Gold Medalist, and was inducted into the International Bowling Hall of Fame. In 2000, she was voted one of the Philippines’ Athletes of the Millennium and is the first Filipino athlete to make it into the Guinness Book of World Records.

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