(originally published in 2002 at newfilipina.com and newsletter, Tinig ng Pilipina)


At times “feminist” is manipulated to be a pejorative word. Don’t you believe it!


A few years ago, a major U.S. magazine had an issue with the arguable frontpage headline that read “Is Feminism Dead?”. I have discovered for myself that it is alive. And growing. And years later, I need to just get it out that I felt something was wrong if a major publication equated feminism with the one TV persona of Ally McBeal and not with benefits and advances of egalitarianism within humanity.


In March 2000, NewFilipina.com volunteers attended the FAWN2000 Conference in San Francisco. The Filipino American Women’s Network conference was sponsored by Mona Lisa Yuchengco, Filipinas Magazine, and Virna Tintiangco along with the Filipino Women’s Network based in San Francisco. (Later on, we sponsored the 2005 FAWN conference).


Along with hundreds of other Filipinas in the U.S. we participated in a progressive forum event. Being part of this conference has made me reflect on the exciting fact that more and more Filipinas today are becoming part of a pro-women movement.


Filipinas are coming face to face with that F-word, that is, “feminism.” Feminism is many things to many people. And to a number of people who don’t understand what it means for humanity to advance, who therefore resist change and are against equality, thus use the word “feminist” as derogatory word or an F-word—so much so that there are people who support women’s causes but would rather describe themselves as “pro-woman” or “womanist” and shun the word feminist.


Is feminism really dead or are the growing ranks of “pro-woman” groups using a soft term for feminism? I believe that the women of today are defining feminism in their own ways and calling it what they feel comfortable with.


Filipina women are seeking to define their own kind of feminism. At the conference was Allyson Tintiangco of UC Berkeley who was the proponent of the term “pinayism”.


With the formal incorporation of the NewFilipina organization in 1999, one year after the community web site of newfilipina.com (aka bagongpinay) was launched, I came face to face with the fact that although I had never identified myself personally as a feminist, I was, in fact, a feminist. I had founded a web site and an organization that seeked to promote the positive identity of Filipina women as individuals and as a group entity. I was seeking the upliftment for Filipinas. I went into this whole thing starting a little web site with a pro-Filipina, pro-woman stance. And although I was not a political or even vocal activist I discovered that because of how I felt and what I wanted to do, I WAS a feminist. It almost felt like an accident. But it wasn’t. It is what has become a part of me.


Pinay power, Filipina empowerment, FWN, FAWN2000, Isis International, Gabriela, Kilawin Kolektibo, Ugnayan ng Kababaihan so Pulitika and many other Filipina women’s networks around the world… even when we just have coffee with our girlfriends and talk about our problems and cheer each other on to overcome them… here are proponents of a Filipina feminism! The most exciting realization for us all is that it has only been our ignorance and society’s collective forgetfulness that have ever chained a Filipina down. We don’t need to take back our power as women because we Filipinas have always had the power, in other words, the strength and the courage to do what it takes. We only have to look back on our ancient babaylan (priestess) and our history’s heroines such as Gabriela and the women of Malolos. Although we might still have a macho, double standard society, we still have a matri-focal society whereby matriarchs of family’s are beloved and their opinion respected and adhered to.


Filipina feminists today are merely reminding themselves and each other of their inner power. We are helping each other use that power in our lives.


From my personal efforts to push NewFilipina forward, I have come to define feminism for myself. It is a belief or philosophy that women have power over themselves. It is a movement where organized action seeks to help women realize and use their power in their lives.


And I don’t mean to totally leave out the guys in our lives. Most of us feminists do love our men, our brothers, fathers, uncles, sons, friends, lovers… we still love them and give them the love and honor they deserve. It’s just that feminism is a bit about giving woman just a little extra oomph just so things are more balanced and healthy within our human existence.


Feminism, for me, is the hope that someday there will be gender equality and balance all throughout humanity’s consciousness and world. That both men and women, at the same time, are given more choices and options to not only feed, cloth and shelter themselves but also find happiness in being alive.


If you have always preferred to think of yourself as “pro-woman” or “pro-filipina,” and/or find yourself agreeing with these definitions, you just might be coming to terms with the realization that you are, in fact, a feminist, too.


Updated article published originally in April 2000.