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From pre-colonial Philippines to the present, women have played an important role in the development and emergence of the Filipino nation. As exemplified by the pre-Hispanic babaylan or katalonan – the chief priestess in the barangay, the women of the revolution, to the women of the 19^th century suffragist movement until the present day women leaders, history presents a moving tableau of Filipinas asserting their God-given right to participate in the development of community and nation equal with men.

Women in politics and public policy gradually increased in number starting 1938 when universal suffrage was finally won until the most recent 11^th Congress of the Republic of the Philippines. Still their number remains a measly 10 percent of the total number of elected representatives and senators of the Philippine Congress.

It is commonly observed that most if not all women in national politics in the Philippines, past and present, belong to the elite class and to established political clans. "All are college educated and endowed with special expertise." At first their politics start in political campaigns with no legislative agenda specific for women’s concerns. In time, however, largely in part to the existence of a strong women’s movement in the Philippines, women’s issues and concerns are increasingly incorporated in political platforms and the legislative agenda of women candidates and legislators.

Although there is perceptible trend towards greater participation of women both in elective and appointive positions, women are still very much in the minority. The enactment of the Party-list Law (RA 7941) raised hopes for the 12 marginalized sectors: labor, peasant, fisherfolk, urban poor, indigenous cultural communities, elderly, handicapped, women, youth, veterans, overseas workers and professionals. The implementation of the law however revealed both generic weaknesses and absence of viable mechanisms for government agencies to fully implement the law.

This website aims to primarily provide full and up-to-date information on the total dimension of the issue of greater participation of Filipino women in politics and governance. In this regard, the website hopes to serve as a venue for on-line information exchange, discussion and debate on pressing issues, theory, strategy and tactics, agenda, etc. among and between policy-makers, advocates, winners, candidates, voters – all the stakeholders concerned with advancing women in politics and public policy.

Last updated 30 July 2001.