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BY RESEL JOY TIANERO
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Tuesday, March 7, 2017
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ILOILO City – Militant women’s group Gabriela is marking the International Women’s Day tomorrow with a protest march around the city.
The group hopes to gather around 500 women protesters.
According to Roxanne Arsaga, chairperson of Gabriela-Iloilo, they will call for an end to the oppression and exploitation of women.
The marchers’ route is: Freedom Grandstand –> Guanco Street –> Iznart Street –> Valeria Street –> back to the Freedom Grandstand.
“There will be cultural presentations and speeches,” said Arsaga.
International Women’s Day is a worldwide event that celebrates women’s achievements – from the political to the social – while calling for gender equality. It has been observed since the early 1900s and is now recognized each year on March 8.
Gabriela’s chapters in the provinces of Capiz, Guimaras, Aklan, and Antique will have their own marches.
Arsaga said they will also tackle the P25 increase in the daily minimum wage in Western Visayas. This is not enough, she lamented, citing the increase in the prices of commodities.
They will also push for the abolition of labor contractualization and call for a stop to the “militarization” of the countryside.
“Militarization affects the daily lives of women and children. The military’s presence sows terror,” said Arsaga, citing the alleged displacement of 30 households in Barangay Cabatangan, Lambunao, Iloilo.
The International Women’s Day’s roots can be traced to 1908, when 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding voting rights, better pay and shorter working hours. This spread to other countries./PN
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