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Ugnayan ng Kabataang Pilipino sa Canada/Filipino-Canadian Youth Alliance-Vancouver
Statement
Filipino-Canadian Youth Statement on International Women's Day
March 8, 2007
As Filipina youth in Canada, we extend our warmest and most militant greetings on International Women’s Day.
On this day, as Ugnayan ng Kabataang Pilipino sa Canada / the Filipino Canadian Youth Alliance (UKFC/FCYA)
add our voices to the global struggle against patriarchy, violence, and sexual exploitation of women and children,
and ultimately against imperialism.
In the Philippines, the killings of numerous female activists and innocent civilians, and the unjust persecution
of Representative Liza Maza of Gabriela Women’s Party (GWP) and other political harassment of progressive
parliamentarians are only some of the examples of the anti-woman and anti-people policies of the illegitimate
Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Another example is the inutile response of the Philippine government
to seek genuine justice for the rape of “Nicole” by U.S. soldiers who were in the Philippines taking part in the military
exercises thru the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA). The VFA puts our women at risk for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs),
unwanted pregnancy, and violence, as prostitution is high in areas of increased militarization. Arroyo caters to U.S. imperialist
agenda rather than protecting women and children and the entire Filipino nation against more human rights violations.
The political and economic crises in the Philippines have forced Filipinos to go abroad. 3,000 Filipinos leave the Philippines
everyday, making the Philippines the number source of migrant labour in the world. The majority of these migrant workers
are Filipinas. Canada is one of their destinations.
Our experience of exploitation as Filipino women is identified in our community’s experience within the conditions
under the Canadian government’s Live-In Caregiver Program (LCP), and of the mail-order brides,
women trafficked in off-street prostitution, and of other workers under dirty, difficult, and dangerous low-paying
jobs as Filipinas have become the breadwinners for their families. Not only the migrant workers are affected by this exploitation,
Filipino youth also experience the trauma of migration, and family separation and reunification. Adding to this traumatic
ordeal is the lack of genuine support for Filipino youth, their families, and community-based groups, like ours, working towards
the genuine welfare of the Filipino community here in Canada.
There are also many problems specific to young Filipino women such as teen pregnancy, violence, the cultural identity crises
involved with the exoticization of Filipino women here in the Western world, and the pressure of growing up under feudal
and patriarchal family and society which have been hugely influenced by colonization.
As we stand here today, we voice out militantly that women’s rights are human rights, and that the problems that affect
young Filipino women affect our whole community! We stand in solidarity with all women around the world, particularly,
our fellow Filipinas, whose experiences give us the most inspiration to continue the struggle for women’s rights. We remember
and salute their militant, hard struggles. We honour the multitude of women who sacrificed and some who laid down their lives
for just cause of women and for the greater cause of Filipino people’s struggle for genuine national liberation.
We pledge in memories of these martyrs and heroes to continue the struggle and uphold the militant women’s movement.
Women unite! Stand up for our rights!
Break the silence! Stop the violence!
Women, dare to struggle! Dare to win!
Serve the People
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