Today, on International Women Human Rights Defenders’ Day, Tanggol Bayi and Karapatan salute all women who have tirelessly worked and contributed to the continuing struggle for women’s rights, human rights and freedoms.
In the Philippines and all over the world, the recent years are the most challenging for women human rights defenders. Attacks and threats including discriminatory acts and gender violence used to attempt to muzzle and silence the voices of women human rights defenders have grown more brazen and systematic. Upholding the rights of women and the people is easily branded as a crime or as an act of terrorism. Lives and liberty were taken away from the many courageous women human rights defenders.
Today, on International Women Human Rights Defenders’ Day, Tanggol Bayi and Karapatan salute all women who have tirelessly worked and contributed to the continuing struggle for women’s rights, human rights and freedoms.
In the Philippines and all over the world, the recent years are the most challenging for women human rights defenders. Attacks and threats including discriminatory acts and gender violence used to attempt to muzzle and silence the voices of women human rights defenders have grown more brazen and systematic. Upholding the rights of women and the people is easily branded as a crime or as an act of terrorism. Lives and liberty were taken away from the many courageous women human rights defenders.
Trumped-up charges are used against women human rights defenders, as they are also subjected to physical, mental or psychological torture. Stemming from the whole scheme of the state that treats activists and advocates as “enemies of the state,” the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) has incessantly targeted women human rights defenders in their red-tagging and intimidation campaign, making it as a prelude to justify all forms of violations against their rights and the very communities they serve.
The current Marcos government has continued to be a dangerous and monstrous regime against women. State forces continue to target women human rights defenders in many regions and communities in the country. Women political prisoners continue to languish in jails, now 169 in number, out of the 842 total number of political prisoners in the country.
While they suffer the dire inhumane conditions inside jail, women human rights defenders in detention have continued to raise their voices about their situation, and the plight of the poor in the larger prison of society. Their life and work serve as inspiration and example to the many women human rights defenders who face attacks, but nevertheless persist in their work with communities.
Today, we recognize and call for the release of women human rights defenders in detention: Sen. Leila de Lima, Adora Faye de Vera, Renalyn Tejero, Frenchie Mae Cumpio, Amanda Echanis, Reina Mae Nasino, Nenita Castro, Gloria Tumalon, Miles Albasin, Rowena Rosales, Atel Hijos, Marites Pielago, Sally Ujano, among the many others.
Fighting for our rights against the growing injustice and crisis is but a necessity these times. It becomes imperative, amidst a dangerous context for women human rights defenders and our people.
On International Women Human Rights Defenders, we call on our fellow women human rights defenders not to let any voice be silenced, and stand up against threats to life, freedom, justice and genuine peace.
We stand with our communities and the people, and say: Defend human rights! Drop the trumped up charges! Stop the attacks! Freedom for detained women human rights defenders! #