Women’s Month 2026: Stories identify gains and gaps of women in PH

NEWS MEDIA in March celebrated Women’s Month with stories that captured the challenges and long-standing issues that women in the Philippines continue to face.  

CMFR calls attention to press reports and TV programs that recognized the impact of digital media, while tracing the current diversity of women’s lived experiences of women in this age. 

Young girls as victims in digital spaces 

CMFR cheers Rappler and PinoyWeekly for their in-depth reports that examined the patterns of sexual abuse and misogyny online using artificial intelligence (AI) in poorly moderated spaces in digital media. 

Citing Pebbles Sanchez-Ogang, executive director of Plan International Pilipinas, the Rappler’s article called attention to the accessibility of AI as a tool and the inherent danger it poses. Predatory netizens utilize AI features such as photo manipulation to show images of individuals in non-consensual sexual activity. Sanchez-Ogang warned about the greater vulnerability of young girls who are used as subjects in the production of pornography. 

The report highlighted the rapid evolution of AI and its fluid use, raising public awareness about the perils involved. 

Meanwhile, PinoyWeekly emphasized legislative efforts to regulate AI use across internet platforms, including lawmakers’ proposed amendment of the  Anti-Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children Act and Anti-Child Sexual Abuse of Exploitation Materials Act. More importantly, its report underscored the root causes of children and women’s sexual exploitation as a problem of poverty, especially with its higher cases in the Philippines. 

Women as defenders of the environment

Bulatlat’s in-depth piece detailed Kalinga women’s struggle in the protection of their ancestral lands in Tabuk City. Focused on three women of the same lineage but different generations, the report emphasized the significance of the central role played by women who have taken the lead in resisting  the long-standing attempts of corporate entities to use their lands for profit. 

The eye-opening piece revealed the leadership exercised by women in defense of their communities from environmental destruction that threatens their very survival. 

In another piece, Bulatlat presented mothers as  human rights defenders,  highlighting their presence at the forefront of barricades to prevent the entry of a foreign mining company in Dupax Del Norte, Nueva Vizcaya. Mining activities have affected the crops grown by women in Keo Road, Barangay Bitnong. Although company operations have stopped, its equipment has yet to be retrieved and removed. The situation has caused the women to persist in their watch and to be ready to protest any resumption of the company’s activities. 

Women in the workforce 

Women’s roles in the labor market and economy, particularly among the working class, continue to be overlooked and undervalued in society. Media reports have helped the public to understand the significance of their contribution. 

Bulatlat’s piece on women workers, posted on March 7, discussed their economic insecurity. It included statistics from Center for Women’s Resources (CRW) on gender-based wage inequalities, the participation of women as migrant workers abroad and the jobs they hold in Philippine retail, export, digital platforms, and short-term employment. Bulatlat underscored CRW’s annual report Ulat Lila that called on stronger economic policies that secures job protection among women. 

BusinessWorld also brought attention to women’s economic participation, noting the need for inclusivity and their protection in the workplace. The report gave emphasis to the continuing urgency of transforming the culture of work environment to minimize the harm of  gender-based discrimination. 

Recalling history and shaping the future

Women’s Month coverage celebrated victories gained throughout the decades of struggle for increased female participation across various sectors. 

CMFR notes the program that highlighted the significant progress of women in various professions. She Shares of ANC 24/7 has presented a diversity of resource persons, inviting notable women as guests whose experiences show the diversity of challenges confronting women in the fields of government, sciences, and advocacy for the marginalized. 

GMA News Online’s article highlighted the country’s women’s rights movement  from recalling the collective victories of feminist champions who claimed and gained their human rights, triumphs that have made possible the progress of women’s struggle. 

Moving forward

Amid the victories and celebration, media must engage in the search for new developments, actively pushing forward to search for the woman’s perspective in every field as developments evolve new challenges. 

Women’s news and the perspective of women in Philippine society should figure in the newsroom discussions every day, giving greater prominence to women’s issues wherever these arise. 

Media must also be alert to continuing inequalities, as progress is never uniform.  The place of women in the community and in society at large remains fluid. Women can determine the course of their lives and navigate effectively through the winds of change. Or they can be forced to a standstill, subjected to circumstances beyond their control

Reporters must develop the required sensitivity to discern the significance of women’s news anywhere and everywhere in the national landscape.