Grassroots Women’s Movement Formed in Tondo:
ORIANG challenges candidates to present
comprehensive platform for women’s rights, justice and liberation

“Karapatan, katarungan at kalayaan ng kababaihan, ipaglaban!”

Lidy Nacpil of the newly-formed grassroots women’s movement ORIANG issued this challenge to political parties and all candidates, especially women presidential and vice-residential candidates Grace Poe, Miriam Santiago, and Leni Robredo, in the coming May elections.

“Only in looking at the issues facing the Filipino people from the lens of a woman worker or farmer can we fully and truly understand the urgency and gravity of our situation. We are forming ORIANG not just to challenge candidates to go beyond mere tokenism to women rights and welfare. Moreimportantly, we aim to advance a women’s transformative agenda after the elections which we will pursue inside the halls of Congress and in the parliament of the streets,” Nacpil added.

ORIANG was launched today in a march by some 1,000 women in Plaza Moriones in Tondo, with the theme: “Kalayaan para sa Kababaihan! Pitong Laban ng Kababaihan”. Oryang is a grassroots movement led by women leaders various sectors – workers, farmers, vendors, professionals, youth and community movements.

Joining Oriang in the March 8 mobilization are the following organizations —  SANLAKAS, Partido Lakas ng Masa (PLM). Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP), Kongreso ng Pagkakaisa ng Maralitang Lungsod (KPML), KALAYAAN, Metro Manila Vendors Alliance (MMVA), Koalisyon Pabahay sa Pilipinas (KPP), Makabayan-Pilipinas, and, Aniban ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (AMA).

“Oriang”  is the nickname of Gregoria de Jesus, founder and vice-president of the women’s chapter of the Katipunan. Ka Oriang went beyond  the traditional role of women during her time to become a revolutionary and devote her life to freeing her country from foreign oppressors.

The organizers said, “Ka Oriang symbolizes the struggle of the masses of Filipino women for a better and more egalitarian society”.

At the march, ORIANG raised seven urgent women’s issues that need to be addressed in the coming elections. Among them: lack of employment and dignfied income; discrimination and unequal treatment in all spheres of society; non-recognition to the rights of women as part of basic human rights including reproductive rights; continuing incidences of rape, violence, and sexual harassment including from their husbands and other family members; the effects of environmental and ecological destruction and its effect on women and their families; the lack of social services for education, healthcare, housing, etc.; and the prevailing disregard to the vital role of women to social progress and social change. The issues form part of the SANLAKAS partylist 7-point pro-people platform.

“More than a century has passed since the universal recognition to March 8 as International Women’s Day, yet Philippine electionsstill does not go beyond motherhood statements to women’s issues. And these are evenrelegated to the background by personality and patronage politics,” she concluded.

PRESS RELEASE
March 8, 2016

Contact person:
Mae Buenaventura, Convenor of Oriang @ 0917-5608069