Women's Rights Coalition Announces Major International Women's Day Mobilization in Manila
A broad coalition of social justice organizations held a joint press conference on March 6, 2026, to unveil plans for a significant protest marking International Working Women's Day. The mobilization is scheduled for March 8, 2026, at Mendiola in Manila, with participants calling for systemic change and highlighting the disproportionate impact of global crises on women.
Coalition of Advocates Unites for Justice
The participating groups include Oriang, Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP), Partido Lakas ng Masa (PLM), Sanlakas, Samahan ng Progresibong Kabataan (Spark), Kababaihan para sa Kabuhayan Kalusugan Kalikasan at Katiyakan sa Paninirahan (K4K), Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ), Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP), Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (Pahra), Asian Peoples’ Movement on Debt and Development (APMDD), Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC), Samahan ng Mamamayan-Zone One Tondo (SM-Zoto), Oriang Bulakenya, Kongreso ng Pagkakaisa ng Maralitang Lungsod (KPML), and other allied organizations.
Oyette Zacate, secretary-general of Oriang, emphasized the critical role of women in advancing justice. "On this year's International Women's Day, we laud the significant contribution of women in advancing our fight to seek justice for multisectoral issues that plague the world. The current system that continues to abuse and exploit women, and all vulnerable sectors, has no place in the future, as we continue to struggle for justice and build a livable planet for future generations," she stated.
Multiple Crises Exacerbate Women's Suffering
The coalition pointed to several overlapping crises that disproportionately affect women. In 2025, the Philippines experienced severe weather events, including heavy rains and typhoons that caused widespread flooding. Concurrently, a major corruption scandal involving over a trillion pesos in kickbacks sparked public outrage and protests.
Geopolitical tensions have also escalated, with the United States initiating bombing campaigns in Venezuela and Iran, leading to increased conflict in the Middle East. These situations, according to the groups, intensify the hardships faced by women and other oppressed communities.
"We must realize that the multiple crises, including the climate crisis we are experiencing, are not gender-neutral. Women, as the main caretakers of the family order, while facing oppression from society, have always been the ones who experience these crises the most," Zacate lamented.
Call for Systemic Change and Women's Empowerment
Zacate argued that environmental and economic destruction driven by capitalist interests worsens women's suffering. "With the continuous destruction of the environment and economy by capitalists for their own interests, it is also continuously exacerbating the suffering experienced by women. It is clear that destroying the system of exploitation and empowering women in both private and public spaces are the ways to completely free women and citizens from the chains of oppression," she added.
The coalition highlighted the dire situation in Gaza, citing UN Women estimates from 2024 that over 10,000 women have died, including approximately 6,000 mothers who left behind 19,000 orphaned children. Surviving women face famine, displacement, widowhood, and appalling living conditions with limited access to basic necessities like sanitary pads, latrines, safe water, and food, leading to the spread of disease.
Upholding Women's Liberation as Key to Crisis Response
Zacate concluded with a powerful message: "There can be no complete response to the multiple crises without the liberation of women. There goes the saying that 'Women hold up half the sky.' We should uphold this and let the system crumble on its own." The March 8 protest aims to amplify these demands, advocating for a future where women's rights and justice are central to addressing global challenges.
