This International Working Women’s Day, the Foundation for Media Alternatives (FMA) celebrates the rich history and victories of women’s ongoing campaign for equal rights. Tracing its origins to the suffrage movement in 1848, women worldwide have shown how our fundamental freedoms can be won through collective action and constant struggle. As we rapidly transition to the digital realm, the challenge for us at present is safeguarding these liberties online.
Between US President Donald Trump’s attempts to undo decades of feminist activism and the growing social inequality around the globe, women’s and girls’ basic rights are at risk of being undermined. In the USA, American women are starting to lose their access to reproductive health services. Meanwhile, Filipino women, especially minors, continue to be victimized by human trafficking and sexual exploitation. The issue of trafficking has been a long-standing concern in the Philippines. But with the ease of accessibility digital platforms offer, trafficking persons not only become more convenient, but detecting and prosecuting its perpetrators has also become more challenging for authorities. Since 2023, the Philippines has been consistently listed as one of the largest sources of online sexual exploitation of children materials.
For the last decade, gender minorities enjoyed the freedom to freely express themselves–owing to the growing discourse on gender inclusion and diversity. But in the wake of rising conservatism, they now run the risk of having their identities doxxed, hateful slurs thrown at them, and worse, their lives taken.
Seeing how the world is turning its back on its commitment to upholding women’s rights, the duty to carry on the brave spirit of women from generations past falls on us. The FMA calls for the effective enforcement of laws protecting women and girls online such as the Safe Spaces Act and the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act. We also urge lawmakers to finally pass monumental bills such as the SOGIE Bill and the Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy Act.
Just as the women have proven since 1848, it is possible to carve a better world and future through concerted effort and action. This Women’s Day, we urge everyone to pressure lawmakers and platforms to make physical and online spaces safe for women and girls.
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