Today is Woman Suffrage Day

Women of the Philippines, Rejoice! Today (April 30) is Woman Suffrage Day in the Philippines. For seventy-one years ago, or on April 30, 1937, your right to participate in public and political affairs was given full recognition for the first time. It was the day when, through your firmness and determination to fight for your right and break the bondage of discrimination, you proved that there “exists a fundamental equality before the law between women and men”.

So move away for a day, Labor Day. For it is but right and fitting, that we pause for a while and offer a toast to the 447,725 Filipino women who, on April 30,1937, trooped to the polls and voted affirmatively in the plebiscite to extend the right of suffrage to Filipino women.

Our first election law was Act No. 1582 which took effect on January 15, 1907.  At that time, the right of suffrage was limited to male citizens twenty-three years of age or over with legal residence in the Philippines. Women were not allowed to vote for they were regarded as mere extension of the personality of their husbands or father, and that they were not fit to participate in the affairs of the government. (Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno, in his Separate Opinion in Macalintal v. Comelec, July 10, 2003).

Even our 1935 Constitution limited the right of suffrage to male citizens.  However, recognizing the strong call and clamor made by women’s group at that time for equality between men and women in the exercise of the right of suffrage, the framers of the Constitution decided to leave the issue of women suffrage for the women to decide. Hence, a provision was included in the 1935 Constitution to extend the right of suffrage to Filipino women on condition that “not less than 300,000 women possessing the necessary qualifications shall vote affirmatively” in a plebiscite on the question of women suffrage.

Inspired by and confident of the “unalterable righteousness” of their cause, these women of the 30’s made bold their commitment and showed their firm resolve to obtain the required number of votes that would pave the way for their participation in government affairs. They strongly argued that “women suffer penalties and are summoned before the courts of law” and are made “to pay taxes” under the laws which “they had no voice in making.” In unison, they made clear their point that “Taxation without representation is tyranny.”

And so on April 30, 1937, the date set for the said plebiscite, a total of 447,725 women cast their votes in favor of woman suffrage. And since then and up to the present, the dynamism and heroism of these 447,725 women have paved the way for Filipino women’s right to participate in public and political affairs and made known the existence of Women Power. For sure, wherever they are now, these 447,725 Filipino women are so proud and happy for this great achievement as they witness the emergence of thousands of women taking active part in various political and non-political affairs of the country with full assurance and confidence of never again to be discriminated against.

Significantly, on March 29, 1984 former President Ferdinand E. Marcos issued Proclamation No. 2346 declaring April 30 of every year as “Woman Suffrage Day” to enable the Filipino women to “renew their advocacy and support for clean, honest and free elections and pursue with greater zeal their efforts towards this direction.”