WE’VE had our fair share of woman leaders in the country, having had two woman presidents to date. This year, we vote once more for the officials of the land. But as a woman, I have the added question: What is your agenda and programs for women?
With the advocacy work we have been doing with groups of women to support women’s economic empowerment, our women groups have started to band together to check and identify the candidates for political office this year. Under a banner question of “Is there a Women’s Vote?”, we held a forum last year and will continue with a couple more before election month.
One of the participants in that first event was Rep. Leni G. Robredo of Camarines Sur, running for Vice President. And I am placing my bet on her. Never have I campaigned actively for anyone in the past but I do so now, on the platform of shared advocacies to make women a significant player in our economy.
We have maintained that all the women’s right issues, such as domestic violence and rape, can be lessened once we empower women and do so by giving women economic rights and the enabling support. I have seen this in the development programs we work with in the Empowering Communities with Hope and Opportunities through Sustainable Initiatives (ECHOSI) Foundation’s Gender Responsive Economic Actions for the Transformation of Women (GREAT Women) Platform, and through our collaborative directions to markets with other woman social entrepreneurs through the GREAT Women Brand. It has been empowering to the microentrepreneurs we have worked with so far.
What few people know is that Robredo was already part of this GREAT Women Program even before we, in the ECHOSI Foundation-ECHOstore, as private sector, came into the partnership with the government in 2012. Before ECHOSI Foundation-ECHOstore brought in the product development and market-access directions, the GREAT Women Phase 1 Project was a government program of the Philippine Commission on Women, funded by Canadian government funds. Its focus then was to work with local government units to teach them how to create policies and programs with a gender lens that would enable women’s economic empowerment.
Robredo, as a human-rights lawyer, quietly but dynamically led the Saligan Alliance to craft the first gender and development code in Metro Naga. This made real, at the municipal level, the principles of gender equality localizing the Magna Carta of Women. This made tangible, in a program rolled out at the community level, her pursuit of human-rights issues such as domestic violence with livelihood directions.
And it is in GREAT Women that I meet up with her in this shared advocacy. And why I chose to speak up politically in support of a candidate as a convener of the Women for Leni Movement—to help bring this simple, hardworking, intelligent and highly able woman to “hold up half the sky” of our country, and help level the playing field for women. She represents so many of our own womenfolk—mothers who till the land or who quietly work hard in the background, yet a professional that can hold her own.
She has been criticized that she has only come out of the shadow of her well-loved husband upon his death. But is this not a woman’s role? To often stay as the wind beneath the wings of her man and support him, yet keeping her own sense of self and purpose steadily and quietly. And now she must come into her own.
When I whispered to her on the side during the launch of Women for Leni that hey, this was the very first time I was coming out politically, she smiled and said, “Me, too.” And with this we laughed and said, “Let’s give it a try.” I do not know Leni on a personal level, but I will know her more, and what I know about her is enough for me to see the makings of a strong, steady and quiet leader who will work for the good of our women and the poor.
When we launched Men for Leni on Facebook, I asked my male friends: Why are you voting for her? Their response: “Because I have daughters and a wife and I believe she will empower them and make the country better for women.” Another man said, “Because she has the best and longest record of grassroots community work among the VP candidates.”
So you see, if women do hold up half the sky, I will place my winning bet on a woman who will help hold half this country together. Leni as VP will help bring up the other half who do hold up half our country’s economic and emotional sky!
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Jeannie E. Javelosa is the chairman of the Business and Professional Women Makati and a member of the
Women’s Business Council. She is the cofounder of ECHO-store, leads the ECHOSI Foundation, which is the private sector lead of the GREAT Women Brand and Platform.
11 comments
No thanks.
We’ve had two female presidents. Both were a disaster.
We’ve also had male presidents who were disasters. Quits lang?
The first one saved us from certain disaster (RAM/Enrile junta) while the second one was disaster personified. Leni Robredo is an absolute upgrade not only over all our past VPs but also all her opponents for VP.
The first one was a disaster:
A) brown outs for up to 8 hours daily for failure to maintain power plants or to build new ones.
B) near destruction of north and south highways due to failure to collect tolls and maintain infrastructure.
C) relatives (Ting Ting and Peping) and friends enriching themselves.
D) forgive and forget attitude that failed to punish corrupt Marcos-era officials and encouraged bahala na attitude of people.
…the list can go on and on…
Yeah, the list can go on and on, but is she to blame for all those considering that she also had to fend off 7 coup attempts from Enrile/RAM who were bitter because the coup they launched against Marcos was supposed to put themselves in power, not Cory. Or would you rather that EDSA 1 did not happen & the Marcoses remained in power? That would have been our “end of days”.
No one is saying that the Marcos clan should have been kept in place. All that is being said is that Cory was an inept and incapable leader.
That Cory was inept & incapable is a matter of opinion & may be partly true. Remember though that she became the rallying symbol of the people who would not have risen up to end the conjugal dictatorship under any other political leader. It wasn’t as if she lusted for power, rather, she was forced into it by the millions on EDSA & nationwide. I didn’t think she did well as President but, hey, let’s count our blessings. Without Cory, the Marcoses would probably be still calling the shots & having this online conversation may be taboo.
Rallying symbols are rarely competent leaders – and Corazon C. Aquino is a classic example of that!
Perhaps, but Cory will still be remembered in history as that plain housewife who galvanized the people into overcoming their fear of the Marcos dictatorship and, in hindsight, preventing it’s replacement by a military junta led by the Enrile/RAM conspiracy. Also, to her credit & despite her “incompetence”, the great majority of the people & the military establishment stood by her against the 7 coup attempts by the delusional Enrile/Honasan tandem. 7 failed coup attempts certainly qualify as “most incompetent”.
Rallying symbols are perhaps incompetent because they are usually thrust into the limelight without the benefit of preparation & experience. However, their more important contribution is usually the prevention of chaos & loss of life while restoring order & normalcy in society. Cory’s legacy, therefore, cannot be denied as she is remembered worldwide for being the plain housewife who kicked out a dictator & restored democracy in our country. Like that or not, time to move on.
As time goes on, the regard for her time in office degrades and is, today, mostly unfavorable.
I would appreciate a copy of that “unfavorable” survey, that is, if there is one to begin with unless it’s a personal opinion borne out of extreme repugnance & loathing for her. Otherwise, move on as I will from this engaging conversation.