1. Women and the Democracy
Project
Prof. Lourdes Veneracion-Rallonza, PhD
Department of Political Science
Ateneo de Manila University

2. Points of Inquiry
recurring patterns/practices of Philippine
politics and how these have neglected
women from the narrative of the country’s
political history;
political participation of women both in the
realms of formal and informal power within
the context of the experience of democracy
in the Philippines; and
feminist inferences on the connection
between the democracy project in the
Philippines and women’s political
participation

3. Discursive Significance
mitigate politics of exclusion
feminist re-reading of the Philippine
democracy to include all arenas where
women are located and have contributed
- traditional (i.e. involvement in the revolutionary/anti-
colonial struggle, suffragist movement, civil society
actions, electoral politics)
- non-traditional political domain (i.e. exercising
gendered roles daughters, wives, mothers)
weaving women’s stories along with the
depiction of institutional structures, the
societal practices and norms

4. Patterns in Philippine Politics
The Philippine political system, though
democratic, is characterized as largely elitist.
It operates on a clientelist tradition where the
patron-client system figures prominently.
The breeding ground and the strongest root of
this clientelism is the family – more specifically,
the political families reigning in dynastic
continuity and clustered into clans.
Political families largely form the elite base of
Philippine politics and their major instruments
are both political and economic power
(Veneracion-Rallonza 2003)

5. Interestingly, it is the very practice
of elite democracy, familial/kinship
politics, and patron-client system
that enabled women to struggle and
negotiate space for their inclusion in
the practice of politics, both through
the use of informal and formal
power.
(Veneracion-Rallonza 2008)

6. Formal Politics/Power: Contesting
the State
Suffragist Movement
National Political Party of Women
Malayang Kilusan ng Bagong Kababaihan
(MAKIBAKA)
Association of Women in Theology (AWIT)
Kapisanan ng mga Madre sa Kamaynilaan
Women in Media Now (WOMEN)
Samahan ng Kababaihang Manggagawa sa
Pilipinas
Kilusang Manggagawang Kababaihan
Alliance of Women for Action towards
Reconciliation (AWARE)
Samahan ng Malayang Kababaihan
GABRIELA

7. Formal Politics/Power: Political Space and
Dynamics within the State (Electoral Politics)
VOTERS TURNOUT RATES BY SEX 1947-1992
100.00
90.00
80.00
70.00
60.00
Men (%)
%
50.00
Women (%)
40.00
30.00
20.00
10.00
-
47
49
51
53
55
57
59
61
63
65
67
69
70
71
78
80
81
82
84
86
87
88
92
95
98
01
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
20
YEAR Figure 9.1 (p.224)

8. Formal Politics/Power: Political Space and
Dynamics within the State (Electoral Politics)
Number of Women in the Philippine Senate and House of Representatives
from 1946 to 1987
Position Number of Women Elected Number of Positions to be Filled
Election Year
1946 Congresswoman 1 8
1947 Senator 1 8
1949 Congresswoman 1 100
1953 Congresswoman 1 102
1955 Senator 1 8
1957 Congresswoman 1 102
1961 Senator 1 8
Congresswoman 2 104
1963 Senator 1 8
1965 Senator 1 8
Congresswoman 6 104
1967 Senator 2 8
1967 Senator 0 8
Congresswoman 3 109
1971 Senator 1 8
1978 IBP M ember 9 165
1984 M ambabatas Pambansa 10 181
1987 Senator 2 23
Total 63 1284
Table 9.1 (p.225)

9. Formal Politics/Power: Political Space and
Dynamics within the State (Electoral Politics)
Women Elected to Public Office Executive Branch: National
1987-1992 1992-1998 1998-2004 2004-2010
Woman Man Woman Man Woman Man Woman Man
President 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0
Vice President 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 0
Women Elected into Public Office, Legislative Branch: National
8th Congress 1987- 9th Congress 1992- 10th Congress 11th Congress 1998- 12th Congress 2001- 13th Congress 2004-
1992 1995 1995-1998 2001 2004 2007
W M W M W M W M W M W M
Senators 2 22 4 20 4 20 4 20 3 19 4 19
Representatives 19 195 23 192 23 192 27 193 36 175 37 200
TOTAL
21 217 27 212 27 212 31 213 39 194 41 219
% 9% 91% 11% 89% 11% 89% 13% 87% 17% 83% 16% 84%

10. Formal Politics/Power: Political Space and
Dynamics within the State (Electoral Politics)
Women Elected into Public Office: Executive at the Local Government
Level
8th Congress 9th Congress 10th Congress 11th Congress 12th Congress 13th Congress[1]
1987-1992 1992-1995 1995-1998 1998-2001 2001-2004 2004-2007
EXECUTIVE W M W M W M W M W M W M
Governor 4 69 5 68 9 67 13 62 15 59 15 64
Vice Governor 8 66 No Data No Data 13 89 9 69 10 67 6 73
Mayor 118 1460 101 1459 129 1469 233 1374 241 1394 293 1366
Vice Mayor 96 1495 No Data No Data 132 1465 179 1428 192 1356 232 1377
Sub Total 226 3090 106 1527 283 3090 434 2933 458 2876 546 2880
% 7% 93% 6% 94% 8% 92% 13% 87% 14% 86% 16% 84%
[1] Data based on the COMELEC tally as of March 2005. To date, there are still some areas where the final count has not been declared.

11. Formal Politics/Power: Political Space and
Dynamics within the State (Electoral Politics)
Women Elected into Public Office: Legislative at the Local Government
Level
8th Congress 9th Congress 10th Congress 11th Congress 12th Congress 13th Congress[1]
1987-1992 1992-1995 1995-1998 1998-2001 2001-2004 2004-2007
LEGISLATIVE W M W M W M W M W M W M
Provincial Board
62 564 68 579 76 601 93 629 120 607 102 514
City/Municipal
Council 1305 11101 1644 11408 1840 11423 2141 10570 2198 10457 1718 8283
Sub Total 1367 11665 1712 11987 1916 12024 2234 11199 2318 11064 1820 8797
% 10% 90% 12% 88% 14% 86% 17% 83% 17% 83% 17% 83%
TOTAL 1593 14755 1818 13514 2199 15114 2668 14132 2776 13940 2366 11677
% 10% 90% 12% 88% 13% 87% 16% 84% 17% 83% 17% 83%
[1] Data based on the COMELEC tally as of March 2005. To date, there are still some areas where the final count has not been declared.

12. Formal Politics/Power: Political Space and
Dynamics within the State (Electoral Politics)
Trending of Women Elected into Public Office: Executive and
Legislative at the National and Local Levels
17%
13th Congress 2004-2007
83%
17%
12th Congress 2001-2004
83%
TOTAL NATIONAL & LOCAL
16%
11th Congress 1998-2001
84%
Women
Men
13%
10th Congress 1995-1998
87%
12%
9th Congress 1992-1995
88%
10%
8th Congress 1987-1992
90%

13. Formal Politics/Power: Political Space and
Dynamics within the State (Electoral Politics)
Party-list system
-1998, six groups under category of ‘women sector’ (Woman Power,
Abanse Pinay!, Ang Bagong Pilipina, Babayi, National Councl of
Women in the Philippines, & Gloria’s League of Women) participated;
only Abanse Pinay! won a seat in Congress
- 2001, women as party-list representatives did not come from a
women’s political party (Akbayan and Bayan Muna)
- 2004, two groups ran under the banner of women’s concerns (Gabriela
Women’s Party & Abanse Pinay!); Gabriela ranked 7th while Abanse
Pinay ranked 33rd
Dividing rather than consolidating the ‘women’s vote’

14. Formal Politics/Power: Political Space and
Dynamics within the State (Politics of Law-
Making)
Women-Related Bills Filed in the Bicameral Legislature:
Comparison of the 11th and 12th Congresses
11th Congress[1] 12th Congress[2]
Senate 101 or 6.2% (out of 1627) 197 or 6.7% (out of 2957)
House of Representatives 108 or 1.4% (out of 7706) 168 or 2.3% (out of 7389)
TOTAL 209 or 2.2% 365 or 3.5%
[1] The bills reflected here are those that were filed during the 1 st regular session of the 11th Congress covering 1 July 1998 to 3 June 1999. For
this period, a total of 9,333 bills were filed from the Senate and the House of Representatives.
[2] The bills listed here are those filed for the whole duration of the 12 th Congress or from 2001 to 2004. A total of 10,346 bills were filed in the
bicameral legislature.

15. Formal Politics/Power: Political Space and
Dynamics within the State (Politics of Law-
Making)
Tabulation of Women-Related Legislations Passed into
Law: From the 8th to the 12th Congress: By Categories
8th Congress 9th Congress 10th Congress 11th Congress 12th Congress Total per
1987-1992 1992-1995 1995-1998 1998-2001 2001-2004 Category
Education/Training 2 2 - - - 4
Girl-Child - 1 - - 1 2
Health 3 5 - - 1 9
Human Rights 2 - 2 2 3 9
Institutional Mechanisms 2 - - - - 2
Media - - 2 - - 2
Violence Against Women 2 2 2 1 1 8
Women in Armed Conflict - - - - - -
Women in Poverty/Economy/Work 6 5 4 - 1 16
Women in Power and Decision- 1 1 - 1 3
Making
Total per Congress 18 16 10 3 8 55

16. Formal Politics/Power: Political Space and
Dynamics within the State (Interface of
Electoral Politics and Law-Making)
Women in National Legislature vis a vis Pro-Women Laws:
From the 8th to the 12th Congress
20% 30
18%
25
16%
14%
20
12%
Women in National
10% 15 Legislature
8% Pro-Women Laws
10
6%
4%
5
2%
0% 0
8th Congress 1987- 9th Congress 1992- 10th Congress 1995- 11th Congress 1998- 12th Congress 2001-
1992 1995 1998 2001 2004

17. Formal Politics/Power: Political Space and
Dynamics within the State (Politics of Critical
Engagement)
Women’s groups/organizations
- socio-civic oriented (Francisco 1998)
- activist oriented (Francisco 1998)
- sector, issue, ideology, and research/resource
organizations (Reyes 1992)
Challenge of diversity

18. Informal Politics/Power: Political
Participation thru Women’s ‘Traditional’
Role
Ceremonial ‘duties’ of wives
Standing by ‘my man’
Heir of the ‘political torch’
Anti-thesis to male dictator

19. Some Feminist Reflections
nominal participation of women in
the electoral exercise;
women in power is not equivalent
to empowerment of women in
society;
men are trapped in women’s
bodies; and
women’s organizations have not
escaped the sorry state of
Philippine politics