蜜桃工作室

Graduating student James Relativo admitted to not being good at dancing, and his female friend even made fun of him for it. Yet, he knew he had to join her and 50 other members of the University of the Philippines-Diliman community in dancing to the tune of One Billion Rising recently.

It鈥檚 more than just dancing, said Relativo, chairperson of the youth group Anakbayan鈥檚 UP Diliman chapter. 鈥淚to yung gesture para bumangon sa pagkakabusabos (This is a gesture to rise against a forced state of thrall).鈥� Relativo added that joining the event was a way for him to acknowledge that he once helped oppress women in some way.

The One Billion Rising campaign, which involved 200 countries worldwide, was founded by 鈥淰agina Monologues鈥� author Eve Ensler as a call for people to 鈥渟trike, rise and dance鈥� for women鈥檚 rights. This was in light of United Nations data that say one out of three women worldwide will experience being beaten or raped.

鈥淲e knew we had to escalate our efforts to break through the patriarchal wall of oppression and denial, to transform the mindset that has [normalized] this violence,鈥� wrote Ensler.

Relativo was one of the many men who joined in the event, which was held in the Oblation statue鈥檚 shadow in the Diliman campus before the participants went to the main concert at Tomas Morato Avenue, Quezon City. Although the majority of the people were women, there were also male speakers, including UP President Alfredo Pascual and UP Diliman Chancellor Caesar Saloma.

Men need to call for change to attain 鈥渢he freedom of men from the belief that women are inferior beings,鈥� said Sociology professor Gerry Lanuza.

Participation in the One Billion Rising campaign in UP also involved the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. According to John Nelvin Lucero, chairperson of UP Society of Progressive Students for Gender Emancipation and Human Rights, such participation shows that 鈥済ender equality鈥� can not be attained by a single gender sector alone.鈥� For him, One Billion Rising promoted 鈥渁 sort of inclusivity鈥� needed.

For Erra Zabat of women鈥檚 rights group Gabriela Youth, this showed that Filipinos of any class or sexual orientation see the situation that women endure in a society where 鈥渆veryone is oppressed鈥� in some way. 鈥淧akikiisa siya sa ating pinaglalaban (It is solidarity with our struggle),鈥� Zabat said about men鈥檚 participation in the campaign.

Women were cited to be suffering from violence and sexual abuse. 鈥淰ictim blaming, fear of reprisal from perpetrators, and lack of family and community support are some of the factors which prevent women victims from coming out to seek justice,鈥� the campaign said in a unity statement. Zabat also noted that women鈥檚 biological needs, such as maternity leaves, were not being addressed.

鈥淗indi kami narito upang agawin ang tagumpay ng mga kababaihan (We are not here to take the victory of women for ourselves),鈥� said Lanuza. Instead, men are with women in building a society that is 鈥渇ree from oppression,鈥� he added.