Blatant disregard for the rule of law, pervasive culture of impunity, and intensified political repression and conservative fundamentalism are constricting democratic spaces across Southeast Asia (SEA), particularly in the Philippines and Indonesia. The harsh socio-political landscape breeds more violent and discriminatory spaces for women. For example, Indonesia is still battling with discriminatory national and local bylaws while the Philippines is still suffering from state-sponsored misogynistic violence. All these normalise violence against women and girls, and particularly those women facing marginalisation, such as Lesbians, Bisexual and Transgender (LBTQ) women, women living with disabilities, indigenous women, victims of (sexual) violence and exploitation women.

This project Feminist School for Women and Young Women Activists in Indonesia and the Philippines empowers a new generation of (marginalised) women/young women to become activists and leaders committed to work for social change, equality, and the protection of women and girls through women’s movement building. Towards this end, feminist leadership modules are developed specifically for Indonesia and the Philippines, and later on for SEA in general, taking into consideration the distinct contexts of the two countries as well as their similarities especially for marginalised women. Workshop discussions for the development of modules will involve marginalised women communities, veteran activists and younger feminists to promote intergenerational learning.

The modules are written in the local language so communities and even young women can replicate some of the sessions in the training especially those on womens human rights and discrimination, protection, and intersectionality. Such modules are put practice through the establishment of feminist schools in the Philippines and Indonesia respectively. Finally, Regional Feminist Camp (with the participation of women from Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos) is organised in the last phase of the project to fortify solidarity among women and ensure the sustainability of women’s movement in SEA.

“According to the women of both Samar and Zambales, more than learning spaces for them, activities organised by WLB under the VOICE project are their safe spaces. KASAMA and Samar always assured WLB that the women attending trainings were there willingly and not by coercion, and the same messages were conveyed during evaluation parts of each activity.” 

Women’s Legal and Human Rights Bureau’s (WLB) activities enabled 95 local women leaders in Samar and Zambales to discover their capabilities in: (1) public speaking; (2) facilitating; (3) critically engaging with government representatives; and (4) critically analyzing the situation of women in their communities to better surface women’s needs, issues, and concerns. This is just one of the wonderful results from its influencing project which aimed to strengthen the capacities of women in vulnerable situations to demand the state’s obligation to address gender-based discrimination and violence. 

Even if these activities are organized by WLB, the women participants were also given active roles such as facilitators, reporters, documenters, etc. The activities also sharpened their skills in referring cases to the proper authorities, and acting as a support group for women and girl victims of violence within and even outside their respective communities. Implementing the project has emphasised how safe spaces can be rare for marginalised communities of women; from stories shared in different activities, women’s experiences with domestic violence, sexual violence, etc. are “too personal” to be discussed at mixed organisations, or that women themselves minimise the impact of domestic violence they experience.  

Another notable achievement of the project was the development of the two core groups in Zambales (KASAMA) and Samar (UKTO) over the course of the project. Formed during the first quarter of the project implementation in 2017, these core groups are a select group of women from each area who act as the focal persons in the area, lead communications and coordination with WLB, and co-lead in project implementation. Both organisations have grown and implemented their own activities and initiatives which led to the following: 

• With KASAMA’s core expansion which took place in April 2019, they initiated a forum on 9262 with two objectives: 1) to introduce the law on violence against women and children to women in Cabangan, and; 2) to practice their skills in facilitation.  
• Moreover, KASAMA was able to introduce and engage with different local government units/barangays. These engagements gained the verbal commitment of the municipal and barangay agencies, the Municipal Social Welfare and Development, and the Committee on Budget in particular.  

• On 8 August 2019, a member of the Legaspi Women’s Organization (LWO) of Barangay Legaspi, Marabut, Samar, one of the partner women’s organizations in Marabut, Samar, used her knowledge and training on the Anti-Rape Law to decisively put her brother to jail for the crime of attempted rape against her daughter despite her other family members dissuading her from doing so. 
• In April 2019, ten women leaders of Kababaihang Samahan ng Maporac (KASAMA) facilitated a forum on RA 9262 (the Anti Violence against Women and their Children) with the aim of creating a safe space for women in Cabangan to  learn about and share stories of VAW. Prior to the forum, core members were able to speak to more than 150 individuals in Cabangan in settings such as riversides while doing laundry, at meetings for 4Ps, etc. Aside from members of Ayta Abellen’s council of elders, KASAMA reached out mostly to women, introducing RA 9262 and encouraging women to ask questions regarding VAW and the law. 

 Though engaging with government agencies have proven difficult and challenging, WLB strives to bridge that gap in order for these safe spaces for women to not be limited and expand, from their gatherings to their own communities and families, and even government agencies. 

Future plans 

The community partners organised in Zambales and Samar applied for a Voice Empowerment grant that was approved in 2019. They continue to develop their organisations and lobby for women’s issues at local, national, and global levels.