Globalization and Its Counter-forces in Southeast Asia

13. Women's Emancipation in the Philippines: A Legacy of Western Feminism?

296 296 Janet M. Arnado 13 WOMEN’S EMANCIPATION IN THE PHILIPPINES: A LEGACY OF WESTERN FEMINISM? Janet M. Arnado INTRODUCTION: GLOBALIZATION AND WOMEN’S EMANCIPATION Globalization is often associated with Westernization or Americanization. Such an irresistible force, globalization is likened to a tidal wave that sweeps over the world, crushing local uniqueness and undermining national sovereignty.1 Ironically, even as globalization is linked with homogenization, it has involuntarily promoted the creation of resistance groups calling for the articulation of differences and particularities in the midst of the growing sameness. It is in this context that Robertson and Khondker describe globalization as a “complex process involving the interpenetration of sameness and difference — or, in somewhat different terms, the interpenetration of universalism and particularism”.2 Because it is seen as a modern version of colonialism, globalization is frequently criticized especially in developing countries that do not obtain as much benefit from free trade as the rich countries, and whose cultures are at risk of extinction. For all the limitations of globalization, it has also produced benefits to some marginalized categories. For example, it has paved the way for a global movement on women’s emancipation. Lerner defines women’s emancipation in three ways, including “freedom from oppressive restrictions imposed by sex; self-determination; and 296 13 G&CForces Ch 13 1/28/08, 12:29 PM 296 297 Women’s Emancipation in the Philippines 297 autonomy”.3 It involves liberation from any form of gender subordination and violence, thereby achieving equal footing with men, both at the private and the public spheres of everyday life.This concept of women’s emancipation was popularized by the U.S. feminist movement at a women’s convention at Seneca Falls, New York in 1848. In a declaration of independence for women, the following became the indicators for women’s emancipation: full legal equality, full educational and commercial opportunity, equal compensation, the right to collect wages, and the right to vote. Since the twentieth century, the concept of women’s emancipation has become a parcel of what we call cultural globalization, permeating into every corner of the world, just as modern capitalism and democracy do in the areas of economic and political globalization. It has also expanded its scope, to include self-determination with regard to the body. The internationalization of women’s emancipation project has been facilitated by global partnerships among women’s movements. The year 1975 marked the first international conference on women in Mexico, one indication of the globalization of the feminist movement. Consequently, the decade that followed became the UN international decade for women, giving rise to massive consciousness raising, organization, and mobilization of women. The Philippines is one of the many countries that have undergone major transformation in the lives of women and men, as a result of the globalization of women’s emancipation project. The changing status of the Filipino women was largely an achievement of the women’s movement in the country. Since theory defines the nature feminist activism, it is important to examine the context and theoretical orientations shaping Filipina feminism; in particular, whether it is distinct from Western feminism. This chapter aims to explore the extent of Western feminist theories’ influence on Filipina feminism. Specifically, it addresses two major questions. First, to what extent does Western feminism influence the thinking of Filipina feminists in matters related to women’s emancipation? Second, what are the implications of the global diffusion of Western feminist idea of women’s emancipation on the feminist-informants? METHODOLOGY This chapter is both a historical revisitation and an analysis of fieldwork data. Data for this chapter are drawn from document review and in-depth interviews with twenty feminists based in the Philippines, particularly from Metro Manila, Cebu and Davao. These three cities are the regional centres of the three island groupings of the Philippines. Seven of the twenty feminist13 G&CForces Ch 13 1/28/08, 12:29 PM 297 298 298 Janet M. Arnado informants come from Manila, six from Cebu and seven from Davao. The selection of informants involved two stages. The first stage was a review of active players in the women’s movement in the country, to facilitate the inclusion of high-profile feminists. These active players were then chosen based on their availability to be interviewed. The next stage involved referrals from the informants. These few feminists became my gatekeepers, and assisted me in identifying other possible activists...