Women in politics: Limits and Possibilities – The Phillipine Case –

This paper seeks to identify and describe the limits and possibilities of women’s participation in Philippine politics, particularly at the local level of government. It will try to assert that challenging male and elite hegemony in the political system is a difficult yet possible task.

The first section of this paper describes women’s participation in the elite-male dominated political landscape: how many women have joined politics, in what institutions are they present, how effective has this participation been. The next section traces the journey of Filipino women toward recognition and participation, starting from the colonial times until the Martial Law years. Following that section is a description of the women’s movement in contemporary times including the various tracks they have taken to advance women’s participation in public discourse and activity. The track taken by PILIPINA, one of the women’s groups visibly advocating for more women in politics, is then highlighted as a case study. Prospects and challenges are presented in the final section of the paper.

ISBN: 3-86077-659-2
Publisher: FES
Year of Publication: 1998