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BY RHICK LARS VLADIMER ALBAY
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Saturday, April 1, 2017
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MARCH is celebrate as international women’s month and jumping on the bandwagon a political organization from a prestigious Iloilo university thought it was in their vested interest to sell “feminist merch” as an income generating project.
What they have labeled “Adobots de Babae” (I’m not making this up) includes tote bags and pouches that brandish messages as empowering as “Feminist things inside”, “Feminist as f***” and the very subtle “Femini$$$$t” (Seriously, with four dollar signs, I’m not making this up) – all part of their initiative entitled “Women on Fleek”, because you’re not a true feminist if you’re not on trend.
A friend of mine questioned the intentions of this political organization in profiting from the feminist struggle with half-assed merchandise that peddle feminism in its most shallow form, but she was met with attacks and taunts by the group’s members.
A few of their choice words on social media are:
“Hindi gagaha ang gapahimunong nga agi dzai. katilaw ka karun sang balda nga dila lang ang lagob.”
“Katalaka sang mga tawo nga gapasapak sapak. Punyeta ipokrita ka gurl sarap mong i-choke.”
“HOY ABI KO ALIPUTAN MO LANG BALISKAD PATI UTOK MO BALISKAD MAN”
“Hoy, Magoleño. Haha. Kung feeling mo importante ka, balik to sa banga mo pls. Ari hu: 1. GAGA KA 2. GAGA KA. 3. GAGA KA”
It makes you wonder the brand of feminism these people ascribe to, when they peddle “feminist merch” yet quickly jump to attacking a woman for expressing her opinion.
The political organization has since released a more dignified and amicable statement, but it brings to the forefront the need to discuss how the feminist movement, a true struggle for equality, is being commodified by opportunists.
Chilean musician and activist Ana Tijoux words it best: “Feminism cannot be defined at the surface level, when there is an [economic] model that seeks to rob it of the essence of its strength. Feminism is not a T-shirts you can buy in a department store. This struggle is much larger than a TV slogan. “
“We cannot think of a feminism, an anti-patriarchy, without anti-capitalism, without anti-fascism, without anti-racism and without class struggle. All of these struggles are one struggle, and they require a historic political push with perfect coordination. It’s our imperative to take on the task of re-empowering the concept of feminism.”
Feminism traces its roots to civil rights and the crusade for women’s suffrage, back when matriarchs and daughters were relegated to domestic work and expected to be subservient to men, not considered equal to their counterparts of the opposite sex. To see the feminist movement being debased and reduced to a buzzword trend is disheartening.
“Women fighters have their skirts on, so to speak, fighting a war perpetuated throughout all of history, and for all of the women who went before, it’s our turn to ally ourselves, deepen our commitment and act. Feminism is liberation,” ends Tijoux.
“Women on fleek” what’s good?/PN
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