During the International Women’s Day reception hosted by French Ambassador Thierry Mathou on March 8, Political Attaché Charlotte Saudin shared her thoughts about women’s rights from the perspectives of her country, as well as that of the Philippines.
Saudin pointed out that the celebration of the International Women’s Day stemmed from the United Nations (UN) Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace. It was proclaimed in 1977 by the UN General Assembly to take place every year at March 8.
“So it is an international day, which means that it is celebrated in each UN member-state, all around the world,” Saudin noted. “However, this international event has a particular national importance both here in the Philippines and in France, as women’s rights are among our most deeply shared values.”
The attaché recalled that the Philippines had gone even further in celebrating women’s rights after former President Corazon C. Aquino, the first female president in Asia, declared every month of March as “Women’s Role in History Month” in 1988.
That’s why we have chosen tonight to celebrate these values of women’s rights and gender equality as a key element of France-Philippine friendship, and also why we have made them part of our annual festival “PHILFRANCE: Feel French!”
She said one proof of the common importance of women’s rights for both our countries is history.
“The histories of France and the Philippines have been marked by women’s struggles to gain recognition and achieve equality. In both countries, the feminist activist movements have been strong and women have taken an important role in public life.”
Saudin recounted that in the 1970s, France saw the birth of the Women’s Liberation Movement, while in the 1980s the first women’s political party, KAIBA, was created in the Philippines. “Beyond the political field, women’s movements have shown great creativity in arts, culture and education.”
The political attaché went further to say, “Another proof of our common concern for women’s rights is our placement in international rankings on gender equality. For instance, in the Global Gender Gap Index 2016 made by the World Economic Forum, the Philippines ranks seventh and France, 17th.”
“But what is most important here is that if women’s rights are shared values, they is also, and maybe above all else, a common goal,” she pointed out, noting that “despite a narrowing gap between men and women, we have not reached equality yet. And the war is still going on—[one] against gender stereotypes that are still firmly established in our society. Developing gender relations in a society is a long-term process, since it is nothing less than changing values.”
The Frenchwoman said that, if values remain unchanged, “social transformation remains superficial and can lead to inevitable backlashes.”
“Real equality,” she said, “will be achieved when, on the 8th of March, we commemorate an ancient fight against out-dated values that would not make sense anymore instead of honouring women’s talent and social role through examples of famous women.”
By taking up the challenge to redefine values, Saudin cautioned the participants not to forget that women’s rights is not just an issue confined to women, but also a human-rights issue.
“Sure, International Women’s Day is a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities. But these are not activities reserved for women. This should be done with an inclusive approach. Even if it’s self-evident, let me remind you that we need men to achieve gender equality.”
She revealed that the Embassy of France in the Philippines wants to contribute to the transformation of values through the gathering, and also with a seminar on Women’s rights that will be held in May under the motto, “She for She.”
“The name of this one day-day seminar [stems from] the fact that we have chosen to focus on women’s solidarity. Once again, it is not because the ultimate purpose of women empowerment would be to live in total self-sufficiency and isolation from men, but because we want to put forward women as game changers. The good news is that 95 percent of Filipinos believe that women are able to create positive change in society, according to the survey I previously mentioned.”
Saudin would like to think that a general consensus was reached during the event: that women are actors of social transformation.
“Women have been revolutionaries and reformists in the past. Just think of Gabriela Silang, the ‘Joan of Arc of Ilocandia’, the first female leader of the Filipino movement for the independence from Spain, or Encarnacion Alzona, the first Filipino woman to obtain a PhD and who spoke in favor of conferring the right to vote to women.”
She went further by saying new women reformists have taken over, and that they can be seen everywhere in Philippine society.
“In a way, the will to change values that have been the foundations of gender bias is, in itself, the most important value we share with Filipinos,” the French attaché concluded.