International Women's Day 2026

There's no place for sexism and misogyny in our society!

Today, March 8, 2026, we once again commemorate International Women’s Day. This annual observance celebrates the strength, excellence, and beauty of women all over the world.

It also serves as a reminder of the continuous struggle for an equal, respectful, humane, and dignified society for all women.

We may see comments on social media saying that the situation of women today has improved than before. But we in LILAK, together with our Indigenous Women partners from different parts of the Philippines, do not agree.

From then until now, every woman continues to experience harassment, discrimination, violence, and belittlement in every level and corner of society.

In the first week of Women’s Month alone, male leaders of the country displayed their vulgarity and desire toward women during an official hearing. The statement and remarks they made reflect many more male leaders remaining to perceive women as mere objects of their pleasure.

This shows that the culture of sexism and misogyny persists, and how deeply patriarchal culture is etched in our society—the harassment of women echoing within the walls of government. It is also a reflection of the many forms of violence against women that occur within our own homes.

Harassment does not end with the utterance of words. It leads to abuse, violence, rape, and the killing of many women. For decades, we have been fighting for our rights and for our dignity.

Our indigenous women partners fight for their ancestral lands everyday and against the harassment brought by destructive, large-scale mining and plantation operations. Everyday, they experience exploitation of nature brought by corporations whose interest in our natural resources are capital and business.

Nonetheless, we are the most voiceless—with no opportunity to speak, to be heard, and to decide for our own bodies and for ourselves.

We want to celebrate the collective voice of women in governance and in society. But we will continue to be angry, to make noise, and to stand against sexual violence, and the absence of justice. We will continue to take action to hold those who are responsible for violence against women.

We will continue to dream that one day, all women will be safe and free from the bounds imposed by society.

Padayon, Babae. Mabuhay ka, lumaban ka!